Siren Sung
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: When the people of Berk begin to disappear one by one, the superstitious villagers blame the Siren - a creature said to lure sailors to their untimely deaths. However, Hiccup doesn't believe that's what's been taking their people and when the Riders start to vanish as well, he and his remaining friends set out to save them! (Sub-genres of Horror and Romance) Hiccstrid!
1. Disappearances

_**Chapter One**_

_**A/N: Here are again! :D Sorry it took so long to get this posted, the planning process was very...complex for some reason and the outline is pretty massive. The story won't be terribly long though and I'll try to keep you updated on our progress through the story as we go... Anyway, I hope you guys like it!**_

_**In response to... (from the last chapter of Venomous)**_

_The Galloping Cupcake: __**Well I'm glad I saved you from death-by-boredom! XD And LOL, I'm glad you enjoyed the ending XDDD**_

_Snowflake: __**Thanks! :D**_

_GuardianDragon98: __**I'm glad the ending made you happy :D And sorry for the near-heart-attack...**_

_fictionreader16: __**Eh, endings are hard. -_- But hey, thanks! XD **_

_Anonymous: __**Well I'm glad you liked the ending (even though I thought it was weird) XD**_

_Cottonmouth25: __**Lol, WHAT? XDDD And thanks!**_

_Blue - The First Traveller: __**Why thank you, my good sir! :D**_

_OinkyThePiggy: __**I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D **_

_dancingRAINBOWS: __**Thank you again! :D It's always so nice to get reviews like that and just... ahdsfsfjwrg THANKS! XD**_

_ChigauBakemono: __**Sorry about your feels... XD But at least you liked the story! Thanks! :D**_

_Nightfury101: __**Lol, well the general consensus seems to agree with you that the ending wasn't as bad as I'd feared it was. *sighs in relief* So thank you :D**_

_Breyannia: __**Haha, yeah...Toothless. XD I had a bit too much fun writing that scene after it popped into my head. **_

_Foxlight The Dragon Trainer: __**Thank you! :D**_

_Mozart's Fantasy: __**Yayz! Thanks :)**_

_HitTheKillSwitch: __**Yup, poor kid. XD Hopefully he'll fair better in this story...hopefully. **_

_apocalypsefantas: __**I'm glad you liked the ending! :D And yeah, Toothless is more of a character than a lot of people portray him (although I have been guilty for sometimes focusing more on human relationships but I guess that's just natural.) I do try to put effort into his point of view as well so I'm glad you liked it! :)**_

_Forever Me: __**Lol, thanks! And yeah, that entire soundtrack is just... anfdlsgvdj. I can't wait for the movie... And it's also really epic when music just perfectly times itself with what you're reading so BONUS POINTS! XD**_

_**(Wow, tons of reviews! Thank you guys so much!)**_

_**Now, onto the story~**_

* * *

Sand crunches below his boots as he staggers toward the black water before him. The man's eyes are closed, as if he were asleep, and he mutters nonsense below his breath. Behind him, the village of Berk is as dark as the sky above it. No one is awake to see him stumbling along the shore as if in a trance, lured by the hypnotic voice in his ears.

_"Come." _It seems to sing. _"Come to me." _And so he obeys, even smiling a little in his dreamy state at the visions of otherworldly beauty that fill his mind.

Icy water washes over his feet, soaking them to the bone, but the man doesn't feel the biting pain of the cold. Or, if he does, he doesn't show it. Instead, he simply wades further and further into the darkness, jumping only slightly at the feeling of something long and slim wrapping around his waist.

And in the next instant, he's gone. Yanked below the roiling waves so quickly it's as if he was never even there. The only evidence of his existence being a slight wisp in the dense fog that covers the beach, it having been disturbed by the suddenness of his disappearance...

* * *

"What are we going to do, Stoick?!"

"He was my husband!"

"This is the third person to go missing!"

"It's getting out of control!"

Everyone in the furious crowd seems to be yelling all at once, struggling to be heard above the rest. Their angry fists shake in the air, not at all deterred by the fact that they're speaking to their chief. They want answers. Now!

And Stoick _wants_ to give them their answers. Except...he hasn't got any to give. The Hooligan Tribe's chief holds up his hands, motioning for everyone to settle down. "I can promise you I'll get this under control as soon as-"

"It's a Siren, isn't it?!"

"It must be a Siren!"

"That's the only thing that makes sense!"

Stoick groans wearily and lowers his hands. "EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" He barks, managing to quiet the furious throng for a few moments. "All this talk of Sirens and sea witches is getting us nowhere! They don't exist!"

"Actually, Stoick." Gobber chimes in from where he's seated beside his friend at the circular table. "They _do_ exist! I've 'em with my own eyes!"

"Not helping Gobber...!" The chief growls, only to wince as the crowd suddenly starts up again.

"Hear that?!"

"Gobber's even seen one!"

"A Siren is what's been takin' our people!"

The desperate Vikings all start shouting at once again, their fear and anger beginning to cause a stir among the dragons as well. The large reptiles, who had been asleep against the wall while they wait for their humans to finish the meeting, lift their heads and start growling, only adding to the noise.

_This is quickly getting out of hand. _Stoick decides with a frown. Then, with a disgruntled snarl, he slams his fist heavily down onto the table with such force it creates a sligh crack in the thick surface.

_BAM!_

Everyone flinches at the huge sound it makes and turns their attention back to Stoick.

"I'll get this straightened out!" He yells. "And I'll put a stop to whatever has been abducting our people! But for now, panicking is _not_ what we need to do!" With that, he sits back and lowers his voice to a more suitable level. "Right now, I want everyone to go about your business. You have my promise as your chief that I'll get this figured out."

And so, with frustrated and fearful grumbles, the Vikings disperse and leave the Great Hall, unhappily leaving the search to their chief. While all of them want to go out and look for their missing loved ones themselves, they're a bit unsettled by all this talk of Sirens. Frankly, they'd rather leave it to Stoick than face off against a sea witch.

It's while the Great Hall doors are closing for the last of the dispersing crowd that Hiccup and Toothless slip in, being closely followed by the other Riders. The teens exchange disturbed when they realize what this means.

"Oh no..." Astrid moans in despair. "It must have happened again."

"I wonder who it was this time..." Hiccup mumbles in agreement. He notices the worried look in Toothless's eyes and reaches down to stroke his dragon's head_._ "It's okay, bud." He whispers. "We're just concerned is all."

So his Night Fury nods slightly and licks Hiccup's hand, hoping to cheer his human up. It earns him a half-hearted smirk but that doesn't last long, and soon, the Riders are hurrying over to get the news from Stoick directly.

"Dad." Hiccup says, getting his father's attention as they close in on his table. "What's going on?" He asks as he reaches down into the bucket of ice being kept on the floor beneath the table. He hands a block to his father, who takes it gratefully and presses it to his head.

"It was Cowlick this time." Stoick replies drearily. "He disappeared last night. Vanished into thin air, like all the others."

"Well, all of them but Dagfinn..." Tuffnut absently points out as he picks his teeth with the point of a hunting knife.

"Speaking of who," Hiccup says as he's suddenly reminded. "Have you spoken to Dagfinn yet?"

"Yes," His father sighs. "And he doesn't remember a thing."

"What about his wife?" Astrid asks. "She's the one who saved him, right?"

Stoick nods. "I spoke with her, yes. Says he'd been going on late night walks recently and she was suspicious...so she followed him the night of his near-disappearance and narrowly stopped him from walking off the edge of a cliff."

The teens glance at each other worriedly. That doesn't sound good.

"He doesn't remember _anything_?" Hiccup asks.

"All he can say is he went to bed without going for a walk that night because his leg had been bothering him. Next thing he knows, his wife is yanking him back over the edge of that cliff down by the beach and 'all he can hear is singing'." Stoick grumbles, making air-quotes with his fingers at the singing part. "Though I wish he'd just kept that part to himself. Now he's got the whole island riled up, thinking it's a Siren who's been taking our people."

Hiccup frowns at he looks back at his friends. They've all heard the rumors about this alleged Siren and, as usual, Hiccup is the only one who's being logical about this. "But even if it _is_ a Siren-"

"It's not a Siren!" His father insists.

"-it doesn't make sense that one would be on Berk! The only time anyone has ever claimed to see one, they were far out at sea. Nowhere _near _the island."

"That's not quite true, lad!" Gobber pipes up again as he leans over the table, a knowing glint in his eyes. He waves his hooked hand excitedly as he says, "I saw one once when I was yer' age! Right off the beach at Raven Point!"

"That _is_ the same beach everyone's been going missing from..." Fishlegs offers quietly, although it only earns him a dirty look from Stoick.

"_Thank you_, Gobber." Hiccup's father grumbles.

"No problem, Stoick." The blacksmith chuckles as he sits back again.

Stoick exhales in irritation and shakes his head. "Siren or no Siren, _something_ is taking our people and we _need_ to put a stop to it...!"

Suddenly, Astrid wacks Hiccup's over the shoulder to remind him of his promise from earlier. He glares at her and rubs his arm, mouth 'OW!' before turning back to his dad and forcing an innocent smile.

"Well...you know, Dad...um...the search would go a lot faster if you'd let us Riders help ou-"

"Absolutely not." He cuts in, strictly.

"But Dad-"

"I said no, son!" Stoick barks. "It's much too dangerous for you and your friends to handle." At the look of annoyance that crosses Hiccup's face, Stoick places a hand on his son's shoulder. "This...whatever it is, has been targeting mostly men." He points out. "And while most of those who disappeared have been almost my age, there was still Vilfred. And he's only a year older than you and your Riders."

Hiccup groans and looks over to his friends. Astrid seems mostly irritated that Stoick won't let them help but the others just mostly seem relieved. Understandable. _He's_ not too crazy about the idea of tangling with a Siren, either. The only reason he's pushing it this hard is because Astrid asked him to. Well..._that _and he doesn't want anyone else being kidnapped.

Hiccup is about to continue his argument when Stoick suddenly releases his shoulder and steps back, folding his arms over his chest. "Now, you kids head back to the Academy. I've got a lot to do and I'm not in the mood for 'negotiations'."

"Dad..." Hiccup starts anyway, but is stopped when Astrid taps his arm and shakes her head as if to say, 'we can try again later'. And so the Riders obediently turn away and head back in the direction of the Dragon Training Academy. It might be a no-go on the search for now, but that doesn't mean they can't come up with some kind of night-watch system or something to stop more people from vanishing.

So for now, that's all they can do. ...for now.

* * *

"So does everyone remember their positions for night watch?" Hiccup asks his friends as they begin heading for the exit of the Academy.

"Meatlug and I are patrolling the town square in case anyone leaves their house." Fishlegs announces proudly.

"Me and Stormfly are keeping an eye on the cliffs so no one tries to walk off like Dagfinn." Astrid says.

"Me and the Hookster are watching the Raven Point beach." Snotlout replies lazily from where he's laying on Hookfang's back.

The twins look at each other in confusion. "Uhh..."

Hiccup groans, knowing they've already forgotten what he asked them to do. "Ruff, Tuff, you're in charge of the northern beach in case the Siren tries to lure someone there instead." And they nod in understanding.

"And what are _you_ and Toothless going to be doing?" Snotlout demands, causing his cousin to roll his eyes.

"_We're _going to circle the island in case anyone needs help." Hiccup says.

"Oh great! So everyone else has to sit on their butts and stare at the water while you and Toothless get to fly around and have fun? How's that fair?" The loud boy continues.

"Snotlout, I promise you we're going to be having just the same amount of 'fun' as you guys. The only reason we're flying is because Toothless is the fastest dragon and can be there to help sooner than anyone else's."

"A likely story..."

Hiccup growls in frustration and takes a small step forward, only to be stopped by Astrid once again.

"That's enough." She barks. "Snotlout, stop giving Hiccup such a hard time. Remember, while you're resting on the ground, he and Toothless have to stay completely alert all night because they're flying. _They_ can't sleep in shifts like we can."

"Yeah, yeah..." He grumbles. "Whatever, just trying to make sure this plan is fair. That's all."

"Uh-huh." She mutters, clearly not convinced. "Well, good luck everyone." Astrid says, waving them off as they file out of the Academy together. Probably to go home and pack some things for their nights out.

As soon as everyone is gone, Hiccup growls in frustration again and even stomps his prosthetic foot on the ground. "Why does he have to question _everything_ I do?" He demands.

Astrid shrugs as the two of them, plus their dragons, walk out as well. "He's just jealous because you're our leader and he's not."

Hiccup puffs out a sigh, knowing it's true that he's jealous. After all, Snotlout admitted it himself when they crashed on Outcast Island a few weeks back. But that doesn't make it any less annoying. "I wish he would just get over it." He grumbles. "It would make our lives so much easier."

Astrid nods in agreement. "It would. But this is Snotlout we're talking about."

By now, they've left the Arena behind and are climbing the hill that leads into the rest of the village. Toothless and Stormfly trail a bit behind, the two dragons chattering quietly as if in a conversation of their own.

For a while, the conversation trails off and the two teenagers simply talk about this and that. The day is fairly nice so they don't hurry to get home, even though it's getting dark. If anything, their steps are a bit slower than normal as both of them try to extend their walk together. What with all the intensity of the last few months -namely the Berserkers and Outcasts- and now the stress of people going missing, it's nice for them to just relax.

And it also doesn't hurt that they've been a bit...strapped for each other's company lately. So in all, even when they finally reach Astrid's front door, the two linger for a few moments as they slowly wrap up their conversation. But eventually, the sun goes down and the sky is pitch black. Time for night watches.

"Good luck tonight." Hiccup tells her as he hops into Toothless's saddle.

"You too." She says. "Don't do anything risky."

"When do I ever?" He chuckles, taking off into the air before she can answer him. Astrid watches her friend disappear into the night sky and she rolls her eyes, snickering quietly.

"He's crazy..." She tells Stormfly in an affectionate tone before heading inside to grab a few things they'll need tonight.

* * *

"Stupid Hiccup... Stupid Astrid..." Snotlout grumbles as he kicks a small stone and watches it skitter off into the overgrowth on the edge of the beach. "I'll keep watch... In fact, I'll stop this stupid Siren myself and _then_ see what they'll say!" He turns to Hookfang for approval, only to scowl at the sight of his dragon snoozing away in the warm sand. "Stupid dragon..."

_SPLASH!_

The loudmouthed boy goes rigid at the sound. He turns once more to Hookfang, expecting him to have snapped awake, but finds him still asleep. The Rider swallows nervously as he creeps around the side of the boulder he'd been leaning against. His hands shake as he braces against it, carefully peeking out across the water.

And that's when he sees it.

"What the...?"

* * *

_**A/N: Oh, don't you just love cliffhangers? XD **_

_**Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! :D**_


	2. Curfew

_**Chapter Two**_

_**A/N: In response to... (I FORGOT TO POST RESPONSES THE FIRST TIME, SORRY!)**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **Lol, hopefully you won't get creeped out by reading this at the beach XD Have fun!**_

_Jesusfreak:** I may have a problem...but hey, cliffhangers can be pretty fun so... XDD**_

_NCISgirl0830: **I'm glad you liked it! :D**_

_samsamwww: **Thanks, but no I haven't seen the 2nd movie yet... I'm going on Tuesday with my mother... *nervous noises* And NO! You're not being annoying! :D **_

_Rochana: **Thanks :)**_

_GuardianDragon98: **LOL! XD**_

_Q-A the Authoress: **Thank youu :D**_

_InfinitiumAce: **I don't want to give too much away but I will say this Siren isn't gender prejudice when it comes to its victims... You'll see. :)**_

_EliTigre: **Thanks, and that's fine. I'm pretty bad at remembering to review things myself so I get it XD**_

_Jo: **Spells the beginning of quite an adventure, wouldn't you say, LOL? XDD Gotta love cliffhangers!**_

_Fault: **Lol, thanks!**_

_Breyannia: **Cliffhangers are fun! XD And you'll find out what he saw soon enough...**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Snotlout might be screwed... LOL! And thanks :D****  
**_

_Samantha: **Wow, thank you :) I've always had a thing for mermaids (the good and evil) ever since I was little and read the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the Little Mermaid (not exactly the pleasant version) and dragons I've been into since...well, I can't even remember. Putting them together just seems to natural to me XD**_

_Alice Liddell: ** I shall continue! :DD**_

* * *

"What?!" Hiccup stares with wide eyes at his father as Stoick glares down at the Riders, his muscular arms folded across his chest. "What do you mean Snotlout's _gone_?!"

His dad's expression sours even further, if that's possible. "I mean, he's _gone_! As in _missing_! Just like all the others!"

Hiccup blinks a few times and shakes his head, seeming to be at a loss for words. "He's...I mean...I didn't think..." Suddenly his brow knots and he looks up to meet his father's searching gaze. "He had Hookfang with him! I thought that would keep him safe...!"

Stoick only growls in frustration. "And _that_ is exactly why I told you and your friends to stay out of it!" He barks. "You all disobeyed me and now one of you is missing!"

The Riders flinch because they know it's true. But none of them look nearly as guilty as Hiccup feels. He's supposed to be their leader, this was _his_ idea...and now Snotlout is gone. His cousin is gone...

"The village is in an uproar." Stoick continues relentlessly. "Now children are even going missing! This has to stop!"

Hiccup bows his head, for once in his life he simply listens instead of speaks. He feels he's done enough damage... But while he doesn't voice his thoughts, he still thinks something isn't right here. Legends have told of Sirens luring people, sure. But never dragons. And Hookfang is missing too.

That either means: Snotlout and Hookfang willingly flew away...or there's a lot more to this Siren than meets the eye.

"Alright, I've come to a decision." The chief announces, causing the kids to look up. "No one is to leave the village after sunset and the beach is off limits until further notice." Now, his gaze is locked firmly upon his disobedient son when he adds, "And everyone..._everyone_...is to be home before dark."

"Yes sir." The Riders mutter glumly.

"Good." Stoick sighs before turning away and heading back into the Great Hall. "I've got to go announce the curfew to everyone else. Make sure you kids stay _out_ of trouble."

They murmur their confirmation before turning away. Fishlegs sinks onto the Great Hall's stone stairs and Astrid sits down beside him, resting her head in her hands. The twins remain sitting on Barf and Belch's saddle but remain utterly silent, staring at each other with dark expressions.

After a while, Hiccup moans quietly and sits down as well. This is all a mess! What'd his dumb cousin have to go disappearing for?! But now, he can't truly feel anger about Snotlout's behavior. He's too worried to be mad.

What if Snotlout really did get taken by this 'Siren'? What if he's hurt somewhere or...or worse?! Suddenly, Hiccup gets the insatiable urge to kick something but he holds it back and simply rakes a furious hand through his hair instead. What is he supposed to do now? Sit around and hope his dad finds the missing people? Gods, even _Stoick_ must know he can't _possibly_ do that.

He has to _do_ something!

But suddenly, he feels a scaly nose nudging his elbow and looks up to find Toothless staring at him with big, concerned, green eyes. His dragon coos softly and purrs when Hiccup scratches his ear. The Night Fury nuzzles his head against his human's cheek as if to comfort the worried boy.

"We've gotta do something, bud." Hiccup mumbles, glancing sideways at the other Riders. He doesn't want to put _them _in danger too...maybe he and Toothless should just go alone... But it's only then that he realizes Fishlegs is look back at him, a suspicious look on his face.

"Uh oh...guys." The blonde boy says. "I'm pretty sure Hiccup is thinking about leaving us behind to go on another suicide mission..."

Immediately, all heads snap up and look in his direction.

"_Thanks_, Fishlegs..." Hiccup grumbles sarcastically. He notices the way Astrid starts to stand up, her lips parting as she begins to say something in protest but he stops her. "I'm not going anywhere." He sighs gloomily. "If I had any idea where to start looking, I might argue that we search but...we don't even know if it _is_ a Siren yet, let alone where it lives."

Hearing that, Astrid sits down again but her expression remains troubled. As annoying as Snotlout is, she doesn't want him to get hurt or...or killed. And it's clear that Hiccup blames himself for his cousin's disappearance, even though it was Astrid who made him promise they'd do something about the Siren. It's her fault as much as anyone else's. Once again, she opens her mouth to say something...but is cut off by a shrill cry overhead.

Everyone looks up, the Riders jumping to their feet when they see the familiar shape gliding toward them. "HOOKFANG!" They shout excitedly.

Hiccup's face is alight with relief as he sprints down the steps toward his cousin's Monstrous Nightmare. Surely, if Hookfang is here, then Snotlout must...be... But he slows down, his stomach giving a fearful twist when he finds the saddle horribly empty. "Oh no..."

The others see it too but race past Hiccup over to where Hookfang seems to be in a frenzy. He growls and his skin sizzles and steams angrily, smoke puffing out of his nose as he stomps his feet. Something has clearly got him upset.

"Woah, boy! Calm down!" Fishlegs urges as he holds up his hands to soothe the furious dragon. "What happened?"

Hookfang growls again but lowers his head and seems to relax a bit now that he's home. But his skin is still crackling with flames and no one can touch him without getting burned.

Astrid slowly moves forward, her hand outstretched as she approaches him. Despite her concerned expression, her voice is smooth when she says, "It's okay, Hookfang. You're safe now." The dragon hesitates for a moment before his pupils dilate and he bows his head, allowing her to place a hand on his cooled-off snout. "There..." She smiles tightly and glances over her shoulder at Hiccup. Normally, it'd be him to jump at trying to calm Hookfang down. But right now, he's just biting his lip and staring out at the dark water below their island home...

With a sigh, Astrid turns back to Hookfang. "Where's Snotlout, huh? Did something happen to him?"

At the mention of his Rider's name, Hookfang roars angrily again and his wings fan out. He pulls his head away from Astrid and looks over his shoulder, back in the direction he came from.

Hiccup notices this and his eyes widen in realization. He pushes past the twins, skidding to a stop before the massive dragon. "Hookfang, you know where Snotlout is, don't you?"

The Nightmare snarls and narrows his eyes. Then, he lowers his head to the ground, presenting the empty saddle on his neck. Hiccup doesn't hesitate to climb on.

"Wait a second! What are you doing?!" Astrid demands, her outrage matched by Toothless's shriek.

Hiccup leans forward in the saddle, not accustomed to the feel of Hookfang's back. "Guys, if he knows where Snotlout was taken, we can't just ignore it!" He gasps slightly when the Nightmare suddenly lifts his head and turns to face the correct direction, about to take off.

"We're going too!" Ruffnut says as Barf and Belch stand up. "I've been dying to see this Siren...!"

"No! You're not!" Astrid barks. She jogs in front of Hookfang and plants her hands on her hips. "Hiccup, Ruffnut and I will go alone."

He recoils a bit and gives her a face. "What?"

"Listen," She growls as she motions for Hookfang to lower his head, which he does grudgingly. "This..._whatever it is_ has only taken guys so far. I think that's who it's targeting." She explains.

"It does make sense." Fishlegs admits. "Sirens are said to lure men to their untimely deaths. Sailors in particular..."

Astrid nods, grateful for his help. "And Hiccup, you're a guy. It'd be more dangerous for you to go than me and Ruffnut."

Although he has to admit it makes sense, Hiccup is still reluctant to let them go alone. However, he slides off the saddle and makes room for Astrid to climb on. "What about my father's new curfew?" He asks her.

"Uh, you mean the one _you_ were about to break?" Ruffnut asks, only to receive an elbow to the ribs from Astrid.

"We'll be back before dark." Astrid assures him, adding "I promise" when she sees the worried look on his face. Hiccup nods and steps back to give Hookfang room to open his wings.

"Be careful." He says.

"We will be." And then they take off, disappearing from sight within seconds. Hiccup sighs and turns back to Fishlegs and Tuffnut, who are staring at him expectantly.

"They'll...they'll be back." He mutters. "We'll wait for them in the Academy. Come on..." And they both follow him without a word, exchanging curious looks about all that just transpired.

Toothless whimpers quietly and nudges Hiccup's waist as they walk. His human almost left him behind...that's not like him. And although his Rider does offer him an affectionate scratch behind the ears, it's obvious Hiccup's mind is elsewhere.

Toothless has never seen his human this worried before.

* * *

_**A/N: Kind of a short chapter, oh well. Thanks for reading everyone! And don't forget...I love reviews! :D**_


	3. Lured

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: In response to...**_

_samsamwww: **He doesn't know what he's dealing with yet.**_

_GuardianDragon98: **Lol, that's just how he is, unfortunately.**_

_The GallopingCupcake: **You'll find out~ And thank you :D**_

_Jesusfreak: **Lol, I noticed that about five minutes before your review arrived. Thank you for reminding me though, I'm so forgetful sometimes!**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **Oh goodness. That sounds like buckets of fun... XD But at least you had a good conversation ;D**_

_MHJohn64th: **I'm glad you're liking it so far, but as for your assumptions as to what's going to happen...I suppose you'll just have to wait and see... *evil grin* Anyway, I'm really happy you like my other stories as well but it's fine that you don't always review. (I'm secretly a little lazy about reviewing, myself...although I really should try to do that more often.) XD Thanks for the review and good luck with school! :) (sorry about your freedom, though, LOL!)**_

_Q-A the Authoress: **Well, one way or another, your hunch is correct so... XD**_

_Midnight' Dragon Conqueror: **Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying! :D And...actually that's completely adorable and if the opportunity arises, I will absolutely follow that advice!**_

_Wanli8970: **D'aw, thanks! :D I'm glad you like my stories and find them dramatic and whatnot. XD I think I have my next story *sort of* planned out but I'd love to hear you idea for the OC and I'll see what I can do. :)****  
**_

_Cottonmouth25: **Yep, as soon as I see the movie, I'll be writing fanfics based on HTTYD2 :)****  
**_

* * *

"I don't understand...!" Hiccup grumbles for the hundredth time as he continues his mad pacing back and forth across the Academy. He's been doing this for hours now and watching him has given Tuffnut and Fishlegs a crick in their necks. "They should be back by now!" He cries worriedly, looking up at the steadily darkening sky with a distressed expression.

"Um, maybe the Siren just took Snotlout further than we thought." Fishlegs offers, trying to make his friend feel better. But Hiccup only sighs and continues pacing, even when Toothless timidly crawls over and nudges his human's waist. The boy only replies with a deep sigh and nervous fidgeting with his hands, like he isn't sure what to do with himself.

"Yeah..." Tuffnut agrees absently. "_That_ or they all got eaten already!" He chuckles at the thought, his dark laughter only dying off once he notices the angry expressions he's getting from the other two boys _and_ Toothless. "What?" He asks innocently. "It's a possibility!"

Hiccup groans and rakes a hand through his hair. "That's it!" He barks. "They should be home by now, I'm going after them." He motions for Toothless to follow him as he stalks toward the door.

"Wait! Hiccup, what about the curfew-" Fishlegs whimpers.

"You'll just have to cover for me." Hiccup replies. "If my father comes looking for me before the sun sets, tell him we all went out for a last minute race but...you and Meatlug decided to stay behind."

"And what if he shows up _after_ dark to look for you?"

Hiccup hesitates, clearly unsure of what to say and obviously in too much of a hurry to sit down and think of a decent plan. So instead, he just shrugs and says, "Improvise!"

"Improvise?!" Fishlegs squeaks. "That doesn't help much, Hiccup!" But his nervous yelps are cut short as Tuffnut shoves him aside and runs over to Hiccup and Toothless.

"I'm going too!" He announces, earning a raised eyebrow from Hiccup. "You'll need backup, right? Besides, I need to make sure Ruff kept her promise and died upside down!"

Hiccup scowls at him. "Tuff, your sister is _not_ dead! OOF!" He gasps as the other boy hops into the saddle behind him, almost knocking him to the floor.

"How could you possibly know that?" Tuffnut demands but Hiccup only groans in response and decides it's not worth arguing with him. Then, they take off and start flying in the direction Hookfang went.

Fishlegs watches them go with a terrified expression. "Improvise?" He whimpers.

* * *

They've been flying for a good twenty minutes, Hiccup and Tuffnut squinting through the dark, praying to see the shape of the Monstrous Nightmare in the distance. But they see nothing.

The sun has finally set and it's nearly pitch black outside, all the stars and the moon being covered by thick, grey clouds. They'd might as well be blind if not for Toothless's echolocation. The Night Fury, who has always been accustomed to flying in the dark, navigates them effortlessly.

And eventually, his ears start to twitch and his nose wrinkles up as he gets a whiff of the familiar scents. "What is it, bud?" Hiccup asks him. "Do you have something?"

His dragon growls, pupils narrowing down to slits as he banks off to the right. Yes, Hookfang was definitely here not too long ago. He catches the occasional whiff of Astrid and Ruffnut as well. They're all here somewhere...and soon, the teens spot where the scents have been leading them.

"I don't recognize that island." Hiccup mutters as he leans forward in the saddle to get a better look.

"Neither do I." Tuff agrees. "Then again, I don't even recognize Berk half the time."

But the other boy chooses to ignore him this time. As Toothless circles closer to the mysterious island, Hiccup realizes why he doesn't know it. Because it's not an island at all. "A sea cave?" Hiccup gasps as it comes into view.

"Sea cave?" Tuff questions. "You mean like...caves...under the sea?"

"Yes, Tuff." Hiccup replies monotonously. "It...must have gotten pushed out of the water during an earthquake or something."

"Can that happen?" Tuffnut grumbles.

"I guess so." And then Toothless growls again as they circle toward the other side of the exposed peak of the undersea mountain, where the gaping the mouth of the cave stands in plain view. And there, perched over its entrance like a bat, is- "Hookfang!" Hiccup gasps, a relieved smile lighting his face. He pats Toothless's side and motions for the ground. "Take us down, bud."

Toothless complies and soon, they land on the narrow width of ground and Hiccup jumps off the saddle. He hurries over to Hookfang, who drones at the sight of him.

"Hey there, Hookfang." He greets cautiously, noticing the nervous look in the dragon's eyes. "It's me, Hiccup. No reason to be scared..." He slowly moves forward, hand outstretched, until the Nightmare physically relaxes and leans his snout against the boy's hand. Hiccup smiles in relief and pats the dragon's nose. "Atta' boy." He says. "Now, where's Astrid and Ruffnut?"

Hookfang's pupils narrow and his long throat rumbles with growls as he nods his head to the side, motioning toward the cave... So Astrid and Ruffnut are in there. And Snotlout probably is too. But...that also means the Siren must be inside as well.

"Alright," Hiccup pulls back from his cousin's Monstrous Nightmare and turns to Tuffnut. "Tuff, I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the dragons. They'll need someone to-"

"No way, Hiccup! I've _gotta_ know if Ruff kept her promise. If she didn't, I'm allowed to keep our whole stuffed yak instead of cutting it in half for her part to be burned with her on her funeral pyre!"

Hiccup glares at him in annoyance before groaning and leaning his head in his hand. "Fine! Just don't go too far ahead without m-" But Tuff has already taken off into the cave, leaving Hiccup alone on the shore beside the dragons. "Great." He grumbles, quietly cursing his stupid friend under his breath. "Well, come on, Toothless. We've gotta go find him." He takes a few steps toward the cave before he's roughly yanked back.

Turning around, he finds Toothless pulling him backwards by the hem of his tunic. The Night Fury's eyes are wide, his pupils narrow and his ears flat against his head. He looks scared to death.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asks. "What's the matter, bud?"

His dragon only whines slightly and nuzzles his head against Hiccup's chest. His human hesitates, taken aback by his friend's reluctance to enter the cave. With a small frown, Hiccup kneels down in front of Toothless and gently strokes the side of his head.

"It's okay, buddy." He assures him in a soft voice. "If you're really that creeped out, you can stay here with Hookfang. Okay?" He smiles but his expression suddenly shifts back to confusion at the offended look his dragon gives him. It's as if Toothless is saying, 'I'm not afraid for _me_, stupid human!' and then the Night Fury bites down on his Viking's collar and practically tosses him onto his back before trotting confidently into cave, Hiccup clinging to the saddle for dear life because he's not buckled in. _Ugh, weird dragon! _Hiccup grumps as he struggles to get a decent grip and balance himself.

Their pace gradually slows from a trot to a crawl as Toothless's ears flatten out again, low snarls rumbling through his body the further they go. Even Hiccup leans down in the saddle, trying to almost camouflage himself against his dragon's back. But their attempt at stealthiness is ruined when Hiccup is forced to start calling Tuffnt's name once they don't find him immediately.

Gods, how far could he have gotten already?

"Tuff?" Hiccup hisses as loud as he'll dare. "Ruff? Astrid?"

He gets no response other than the echo of his own voice against the moss covered, slimy stone walls.

"_Tuff_!" He growls a bit louder. "_Ruffnut? Astrid!_"

No one answers him except for his own voice. That is until-

"AGH! YOU'LL NOT TAKE ME ALIVE, UGLY SIREN!" Tuffnut screams in the distance.

Hiccup's eyes pop wide open. "TUFF!" He gasps as Toothless takes off at top speed, rounding a corner and plowing straight into the missing boy. The dragon yanks him away from his attacker and snarls beneath his mouthful of fur-vest.

"Heyy! It's _us_, idiots!" Snaps a familiar voice in the darkness.

"Ruff?" Hiccup asks, blinking in surprise. "Bud, give us some light?"

And Toothless obeys, dropping Tuffnut onto the floor, he fires a plasma blast at the roof of the cave, illuminating its dark interior enough for the four teens to suddenly see each other.

"Hiccup?! Tuffnut?!" Astrid gasps as she stumbles into the light, squinting because she's no longer adjusted to such brightness. "What are you doing here?" She demands.

"We...came to rescue you." Hiccup tells her as he gazes about their surroundings. "You were taking too long and I thought..." But he trails off, letting her finish the thought for him.

"Well...it seems like we're wasting our time." She sighs. "We've been here for hours and there's nothing here but tunnels and darkness."

"No Siren?" Tuff groans. "Aw, man!"

"I know. I was disappointed too..." His sister sighs.

Hiccup grimaces. Snotlout's not here then... "Well, at least you guys are safe. You had me worried for a while there." He admits and Astrid offers him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. We wanted to make sure we checked everywhere." She explains.

"It's okay." He tells her. "Let's just all get back to Berk before my dad flips his lid. We can keep searching in the morning."

"Does you dad know?" Astrid asks as he helps her climb into the saddle.

"Um, not exactly..."

"Guys..." Tuffnut whispers as he starts backing toward Toothless. However, his words go unnoticed.

"What do you mean, 'not exactly'? Does he even know you're gone?"

"Uh, no. But don't worry, I've got Fishlegs covering for us."

"_Guys_!" Tuff tries again, his tone a bit more shrill. Once more, no one hears him.

"Fishlegs?" Astrid asks in disbelief. "Oh, that makes me feel better." She rolls her eyes sarcastically. "You're right, we should get-"

"GUYS!"

Everyone winces at his loud shout. "WHAT?!" They bark back, only to freeze mid-breath at what they see in front of them.

"Sorry to interrupt but...am I the only one seeing the huge cloud of mist slowly engulfing our cave?"

"No, Tuff...you are _not_ the only one..." Hiccup assures him in a trembling voice. Toothless snarls and backs up, his teeth sliding in from their gums as his scales bristle dangerously.

"Hey, what's that sweet smell?" Ruffnut asks, sounding a bit...woozy.

"Smell...?" Astrid wonders, taking a tentative sniff.

"Wait, maybe you shouldn't be-" But Hiccup's words cut off as both Ruffnut and Astrid go suddenly limp. Both girls collapse to the floor, unconscious. "Astrid! Ruffnut!" He gasps fearfully as the mist bubbles up, flooding the tunnel all the way up to his eye-level. He yelps as Toothless groans and sinks to the floor, his eyes closed, and a moment later, Tuff falls over too.

Hiccup holds his breath, realizing that there's something wrong with this mist. Even its color is an odd shade of purple but he can only go without breathing for so long and eventually, he sucks in a breath once his lungs become too demanding. His mind instantly goes blank as his eyelids flutter shut and the world goes dark around him.

* * *

_**A/N: Cliffhanger! Again... Sorry.**_


	4. In The Mist

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A/N: In response to...**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Hm, it might be a dragon...or it might not. I guess you'll find out. XD**_

_The Galloping Cupcake: **Lol, sorry about such a terrible 'cliffy'! XD I'm glad you're liking the story, though!**_

_MHJohn64th: **Sorryyyy! (I honestly don't TRY to make cliffhangers endings...it just sort of happens.) And as for your guesses about the future of the plot, I think you'll be surprised as to what's going to happen... And I vaguely mentioned that Hookfang stayed behind outside of the cave. (Sorry that was unclear) :D**_

_samsamwww: **Just call me Mrs. Leisa Cliffhanger! XD But seriously, I DON'T try to make cliffhanger endings! It just happens! It's how my brain functions! But...thanks for inadvertently calling me a good writer. XDDD**_

_Warrior Of Spectra: **Yup, probably... LOL!**_

_Cottonmouth25: **Oh GOD! XD That made me laugh OUT LOUD while I was sitting in the DOCTOR'S office waiting for my grandma. XDDD I got looks... o_o But I don't care because it was funny! XD **_

_lorde: **I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOWW! XD And this is set between the series and the 2nd movie but the characters are the same age as the series. So...before HTTYD2. :)**_

_Wanli8970: **Hm, sounds interesting... Like I said, I don't know when I'd use it because I've got a few stories in my brain already but if the opportunity arises, I'll let you know, okay? :) **_

_PT: **Sorry... o_o And, thanks XD I try to update everyday (although sometimes that doesn't happen...) And as for your assumption about Ruffnut and Astrid...well, you'll see why it happened.**_

_Lord Jaric: **Yeah, I know a lot of narratives are told from past tense but, personally, I don't really like how past tenses sounds. It just doesn't roll of the tongue for me. I guess it's a stylistic thing that I write present tense, I don't know. (My REALLY old Naruto fanfics were past tense but eventually I changed it because I didn't like how it sounded.)**_

_rafa number one fan: **Thanks :) And I update pretty much everyday, just for future reference.**_

_camilleRomance: **Lol, you should watch the series, it's pretty good. :) You can buy all the DVDs in stores now or watch it online if you search hard enough. And thank you :D I'm glad you're enjoying the story.**_

* * *

"Huhh...?" Astrid moans as her eyes flutter open. It takes a moment for her vision to come back into focus, at which time, she finds herself staring at the roof the cave. She flinches as a droplet of water smacks against her nose, followed by another. "Ohhh..." She groans, sitting up and rubbing her head.

In the darkness of the cave, she can't see much. Only the faintest silhouettes of her fallen companions a few feet away. Toothless is collapsed to his belly and she is laying pressed up against him from where she fell out of his saddle when she fainted. Craning her neck, she spots Ruffnut laying on her back and apparently struggling to wake up as well.

"Ruff, are you okay?" Astrid asks, earning a shocked yelp from the other girl.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She replies gruffly, obviously embarrassed that she got scared just now. It's just that she thought she was the only one awake and hadn't expected to hear anyone's voice... "Where's everyone else?" She wonders, squinting through the dark.

"Toothless is right here." Astrid tells her as she rolls onto her knees and stands up. "And...Hiccup too. I think he's still unconscious...but..." Then, her eyes widen. "Where's...where's Tuff?"

Ruffnut frowns, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean 'where's Tuff'?" His sister hurries over to where her brother had been standing before the Siren's attack, only to groan in annoyance when she finds he's missing. "Great! Now we've gotta find Snotlout _and_ my stupid brother!"

"Hiccup?" Astrid asks as she kneels down before her sleeping friend. She shakes his shoulder a few times and sighs in relief at the sound of his groggy moans. "Come on, wake up." She tells him, lightly slapping his cheek to rouse him.

It works but he growls tiredly and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, as if reluctant to wake up. "Go'way..." He grumbles, swatting at her hands. "Five more minutes..."

"No. Now, Hiccup." She says as she grabs his shoulders and yanks him to his feet. "We don't have time to lay around. Tuffnut is missing now too."

He yawns, blinking heavily as he gazes around the cave. It takes his sleepy brain a moment to register what she said but after a moment- "Wait! TUFF IS MISSING TOO?!"

Astrid nods as she returns to Toothless's side and starts skirting around him, trying to think of the best way to wake him. "Hiccup, he's _your_ dragon! How do you get him up in the morning?"

Hiccup grimaces, his half-asleep mind still in a flurry of trying to catch up with everything that's happening. "Um, I don't." He admits. "Toothless is usually the one waking _me_ in the morning..."

Astrid sighs. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Regardless, Hiccup turns around and gets to work on waking his dragon while Astrid and Ruffnut glance worriedly around. What if the Siren comes back? What if more of them get taken?

Their fears are interrupted by Hiccup giggling. "Ah, there you are, bud!" He laughs as his Night Fury licks his cheek. "I was starting to get worried for a minute there." He admits as he scratches Toothless's chin.

"So..." Ruffnut begins slowly now that everyone of their dwindling group is ready to move. "...what's the plan here, guys? 'Cuz I got nothin'."

"We have to keep searching." Hiccup decides as he stands up. "Snotlout, Tuff, and the other missing villagers are here somewhere. I know it."

"You're right about that much." Astrid agrees with him. "But...maybe we should go back to the village and get reinforcements. I mean, it's not safe for just the four of us to be wandering around in the dark with _no_ idea of what we're acually dealing with..."

Hiccup pauses, obviously considering it. He chews his lip thoughtfully before apparently coming up with a plan. "Alright, someone should take Hookfang back to Berk and get some help. The rest of us will keep looking."

"You want us to split up?" Astrid demands, her eyebrow arching in disbelief. "Hiccup, no offense but...that's a terrible idea."

"Yeah! Haven't you ever heard Gobber's scary stories? Whenever the good guys split up, _bad stuff _happens!"

Hiccup sighs and folds his arms. "Yeah, except _we're_ not in a scary story!"

"Or...maybe we are." Ruff growls, her eyes searching the cave suspiciously.

"Ruff!" Hiccup barks. "Focus!"

"Okay then, who's going back to Berk and who's staying?" Astrid asks him, a challenge in her eyes. "I'm not leaving you guys behind."

"I can't go, either." Ruffnut tells them. "I need to make sure Tuff kept his promise and-"

"Died upside down, I know." Hiccup grumbles, cutting her off as he remembers her twin having said the same thing.

"Okay then, Hiccup." Astrid continues, a knowing smirk on her lips. "I guess that means you're going back." She already very well knows what he's going to say.

"Uhh..." Hiccup begins weakly, struggling to think of an excuse to stay with them. "I...I can't go. If I leave, Toothless will follow me and then you guys will be defenseless."

"Uh-huh..." Astrid rolls her eyes. "So either we all go back to Berk or no one goes." And when no one offers to return home, the group silently starts walking the tunnels again. They stick very close to each other, their shoulders almost brushing as they slowly make their way further and further into the darkness.

The only sound to be heard is that of their boots crunching over loose gravel and Toothless's growls as the menacing scent only grows stronger in his nose.

* * *

As they make their way further and further into the cave, the air becomes thicker and harder to breathe...and also a bit hotter. There's a moisture in the air that reminds them this cave used to be under the surface of the ocean. Salty sea water drips from the ceiling and their feet squish in wet sand and dirt, their footing becoming increasingly hazardous to the point where they also have to hold onto each other so they don't fall.

"Tuffnut?" They call as loud as they dare. "Snotlout? Anybody?"

They receive no answer other than what sounds like subtle ripples in the water. Except...there are no pool of water here. Just various puddles and the stuff that drips from the roof.

"This place is creepy..." Ruffnut admits, her hoarse voice shaking a bit.

"I'll say..." Astrid agrees quietly. In the pitch darkness, they really can't see their own hand in front of their faces, which is why both girls suddenly plow straight into Hiccup, who'd been walking a bit ahead of them for the last few yards. But now, he's stopped. "Hiccup?" Astrid asks. "What's wrong?"

"Do you...hear that?" He asks them.

The girls glance at each other in confusion before leaning forward, their eyes narrowing in concentration. And after a few seconds, they do begin to hear a slight...hissing sound. Not like an animal or dragon, more like steam being released very slowly. After a few more moments, the noise jumps in octave and becomes more like a high-pitched squeal.

The teens exchange wide-eyed looks. What is this sound?! But then, Toothless roars and fans open his wings defensively. The Riders scramble backwards, startled by his sudden movement...but then it becomes obvious why he did so.

"MIST!" Astrid shouts, all attempt at stealth thrown to the wind as fear slams through her chest.

"RUN!" Ruff yells as they wheel around to escape its effects.

The cave suddenly flashes with bright, violet light as Toothless fires off a plasma blast. Something screeches in pain as his attack apparently hits its mark, but the mist doesn't stop flowing. Its purplish tendrils creep up the teens' legs, filling the tunnel almost to their waists.

They all listen fearfully as they run, listening to the sound of Toothless battling the Siren. A second plasma blast lights their way, then a third. Hiccup bites his lip and slows down a little... A fourth shot, a fifth...

Hiccup stops running altogether and turns back toward his dragon. His heart is hammering against his ribs as he struggles to decipher what might be happening with his friend. _He's only got one more blast and then-_

Hiccup flinches as a bright flash of light spells the end of his Night Fury's shot limit. And in that brief moment of clarity in the dark, he's able to see an outline of the creature that's been haunting his home. His first glimpse of the monster...

And he nearly whimpers at the sight of it.

But then the cave is dark once more and all is silent for a moment. Until-

"AHHH!" Hiccup screams as something that feels suspiciously like a..._tentacle _wraps around his ankle. It gives a single, harsh yank and Hiccup goes sprawling onto his back, a sharp cry escaping his lips as the appendage drags him back in the direction of the Siren.

"HICCUP!" Astrid gasps at the sound of his yelp. She and Ruff stop in their tracks and spin around to face in his direction. They can't see him or, well, _anything_ but in a split-second, they're both racing back over to help.

Toothless snarls and pounces on his opponent's back, claws digging into the creature's rubbery skin as he fights to get it away from his Rider, whose struggles are growing weaker by the second as his head is filled with the intoxicating mist. The Night Fury roars in anger and bites down on the Siren's shoulder, blood spewing into the air as it gives a harsh shriek of agony.

By now, the other two Riders have arrived as well. Astrid scowls down at the faint silhouette of the tentacle before pulling a knife from her waistband. _Never leave home without one...! _She reminds herself as she draws back her arm and digs the blade into the squirming appendage.

The Siren screams in pain and yanks away from them, its tentacle unraveling from around Hiccup's leg as it clumsily scrambles away, throwing Toothless from its back at the same time. But Hiccup's dragon continues snarling and chases the other creature away, both of them disappearing further down the tunnel...

"Hiccup...!" Astrid breathes as she kneels down beside him. She can't see his face now but she _can_ hear his weak moans as he struggles to sit up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." He mumbles softly, shaking his head to try and clear it of the mist. "Just peachy...thanks"

"Hey, guys." Ruff begins in a fearful voice. "Where's Toothless?:

Hiccup's brow furrows and he finally sits up, his eyes searching the darkness. "What do you mean?" He asks. "Where'd he go?"

"He...chased that _thing_ off." Astrid tells him. Then, her expression darkens when she mutters, "You don't think he could have-"

But then, before she can say anymore, they hear the sound of claws clicking across the stone floor. Everyone goes rigid at the noise and they all fall deathly silent...until Hiccup gulps and asks,

"Toothless? That you, bud?" He nearly screams as a pair of green eyes hover into his line of sight...but he swallows his cry when he finally recognizes the familiarity of them. As well as the comforting purrs that suddenly rumble through his dragon's throat. "Toothless...!" He breathes, fumbling through the dark to wrap his arms around his friend's neck. "Are you okay, buddy? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

But Toothless only nuzzles his snout into his human's chest and continues his purring. Their embrace lasts a few more seconds and then they both draw back, Hiccup smiling in relief at his friend's outline.

"Alright, as much as I hate to say this...we need to go back to Berk." Astrid tells them. "All of us, together. It's not safe here."

Ruff nods frantically in agreement, even though no one can see her.

And Hiccup bites his lip, knowing she's right. "I guess." He agrees reluctantly. "We'll tell my father about this place and hopefully he'll agree to send some back-up with us next time." As he finishes explaining his plan, he slowly stands up, testing his ankle and back for injury. Thankfully, other than a slightly shaky feeling in his knees -which is probably a result of being attacked by a monster- nothing feels sprained or broken.

"Sounds good to me." Astrid says before turning to Ruffnut. "Ruff, I know you must be worried about your brother but-"

"Eh," The other girl shrugs. "I'm not worried. Tuff is pretty hard to kill. Trust me, I would know..." She says darkly, earning stunned looks from her friends. Not that she can even see their expressions.

"Then it's settled." Hiccup decides. "We'll head back, find my dad, and figure out what to do from there." So the Riders turn back and head for the exit, which is probably only a few hundred yards in the opposite direction.

The only problem is...no one notices the subtle growls and animalistic hisses that echo through the cave behind them. Nor the sound of something...dragging over the stones.


	5. Deadline

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: I'd say, at this point, we're about 40% through the story! (but I might be wrong...we'll see.)**_

_**In response to...**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Ehhh...you'll see if you were right or not... :)**_

_GuardianDragon98: **Lol, GOOD! XD *evil smile***_

_MHJohn64th: **I am a girl, actually. XD Born n' raised! And yeah, cliffhangers are a thing, I guess. XD You'll eventually see more of the Siren in its entirety, just not yet... Ugh, school is ALWAYS a nightmare.**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Yay, thanks :D And yep...there hasn't been much 'horror' yet so I figured I'd toss some spookiness in to set the mood for the upcoming chapters... *wink wink, nudge nudge* LOL!**_

_Guest: **Well, the Siren is a real mythological creature so I didn't exactly 'make it up' but I DID change it to fit the world of HTTYD (no, it's not in the books) In the true mythology, it's meant to basically be an evil mermaid or something along those lines that would lure sailors with their voices to crash their ships and die. In this story...well...I guess you'll just have to wait and see.****  
**_

_samsamwww: **I'll tell you that Hiccup is NOT immune, no one is. The only reason he didn't get taken was because Tuff was closer. As for the hypnotism...just wait and see :)**_

_camilleRomance: **Err, well...it's not really like Ursula either. You'll see. I'll give a decent description within the next few chapters and then you'll have a good visual of this thing. :)**_

_Abbey: **Well I guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens next... And I'm glad you're liking it :D **_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **You'll see! :D And yep, there will definitely be anger involved... **_

_Q-A The Authoress: **If there even is a next time... *evil smile***_

_Eel Nadder: **Hm, you'll find out :D**_

_Cottonmouth25: **HA! XD IT'S NOT AN OCTOPUS! LOL!**_

_Breyannia: **Lol, that's a pretty funny image XD**_

_Jo: **You'll find out :) And thank you *Astrid voice* "I'm pretty impressed with myself too!" XDDDD (I couldn't resist quoting that!)**_

_Wanli8970: **Hm, she sounds pretty cool :) I'll let you know if I decide to incorporate her someplace.**_

_Lakota1172: ***Bows* Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it so far! :D**_

* * *

When they first saw the light of the sun shining off in the distance, they were sure they'd found the exit. However, what they hadn't taken into account for were the numerous twists and turns in the underground tunnel system. An amount of turn-arounds they hadn't noticed while they were focused on calling for their missing friends the first time they passed through. In truth, the cave is horribly confusing. Even for a Night Fury relying on his echolocation and sense of smell to retrace their steps.

Somehow, they still manage to find themselves stumbling into an opening in the cave, where the stone above them has corroded and allowed sunlight to peer through. The Riders gasp when they find themselves standing on a very narrow ledge overlooking a standing pool of water far, far below them and a curving path in the stone that leads down to it.

Hiccup, Astrid, and Ruffnut look at each other in stunned silence. How did they end up here? And, more importantly, where is 'here'?

If not for the ever-present danger of the Siren lurking somewhere in the tunnels, this place might have been beautiful. Filtering through the misty, cool air, the sunlight looks almost silver. Strands of sea weed and kelp dangle from the roof of the cave, glinting various shades of green and brown in the dying light. Far below them, they can see the fins of fish parting the water as they search for bugs skimming the shimmering surface.

Except...

"It's almost dark out." Astrid comments as everyone lifts their heads to look up at the orange and pink sky. From where they're standing, they can see the hot rays of the sun burning red against the horizon. "We need to find the way out and get home before it gets to be night..."

"Astrid..." Hiccup mutters. "As much as I don't want to get in trouble, I think my dad's curfew is the least of our worries." He reminds her.

"That's not what I mean." She says, earning a questioning look from the other two. "The Siren has only kidnapped people at night, which means it's probably mostly a _nocturnal _hunter."

"And we're in its nest..." He finishes her thought in a worried voice.

"Woah!" Ruffnut suddenly gasps, jabbing a finger down at the water below them. "Do you guys see that?!"

"What?" Astrid asks as she cranes her neck to look over the edge.

"Are those...eggs?" Hiccup wonders as his eyes grow wide.

Surely enough, there are -what appears to be- _hundreds_ of eggs lining the sides of the pond. Half-submerged in mud and crawling with crabs and insects...they're definitely-

"Dragon eggs..." Hiccup realizes, recognizing their large size and scaly texture. "Those are dragon eggs!" Before anyone can say anymore, he's scrambling down the slippery path toward the water, Astrid and Ruffnut closely in tow.

When they reach the 'nest', the teens skirt around the eggs at first, staring in awe at what their presence could mean. Could this mean the 'Siren' isn't actually a Siren at all? Could it actually be some kind of...dragon? One that lives in the water? But then...if it _is_ a dragon and these _are_ its eggs...

That means there are more than one. And by the looks of this nest, how there are not only eggs but egg_shells_ laying everywhere...it isn't only adult Sirens running around in this cave. But babies too. And just like with humans, there's nothing more dangerous and protective than a mother who feels her babies are being threatened.

"We...should get out of here." Hiccup tells the others, earning nods of agreement as both of them seem to come to the same conclusion he has. It no longer matters if they get home before dark, just so they _get home alive_.

As they're wheeling around to head back up toward the tunnels so they can leave and return home, they hear a kind of... _splashing_ sound. Hiccup turns his head in the direction of the noise and his breath catches in his throat, his steps faltering from the shock. Toothless growls, his nose wrinckling up as he bears his teeth, scales bristling.

Peeking out of the smooth surface of the water...are two reptilian eyes and the very tip of what looks to be a dorsal fin. Its skin is scaly and the same color as the moss that clings to the walls of the cave, its eyes nothing more than black dots set in among the scales. But that's all Hiccup is able to tell about it before it vanishes below the surface again, leaving only a slight ripple in its wake.

Ruff and Astrid only barely catch a glimpse of the creature before it disappears but it's enough. "That was creepy..." Ruff comments shakily.

"Why is it watching us?" Astrid wonders as they begin to back away toward the stone ramp. "We're in its nest, don't you think it'd attack us?"

Hiccup swallows, his mind scrambling to come up with an explanation. He wants to think it's curious about them, like Toothless was when they first met. Except...those didn't look like curious eyes. They looked hungry. "Um, let's discuss this outside." He tells them as they whirl around and start running for the corridors again.

However, just as they're leaving the pond behind, Astrid yelps in surprise as her boot strikes something hard and metallic and she tumbles to the ground. "Ow..." She grumbles, rubbing her scraped-up knees.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asks, startled, as he returns to her side, his gaze immediately finding what her foot caught on. He looks confused as he tries to tug it out of the sand. "Are you alright?"

She nods and scoots out of the way to see what he's doing. "Is that...a helmet?" She asks him, recognizing the curled bone horns jutting from the dirt.

"Looks like one." He agrees as he finally manages to yank it out of the ground. "But look," He says, motioning to the crest engraved on its front. "Is that the...Berserker tribe symbol?"

Suddenly Astrid groans angrily. "Don't tell me _Dagur_ had something to do with this!"

"No...he didn't." Hiccup assures her, his voice distant.

"How can you be so sure?"

"This style of helmet hasn't been made in...a _long_ time." He says, pointing out the various flaws in its design. "Gobber has one like this in his shop, said his grandfather was the last Berkian to forge one like this."

"So...it's old." Ruff rolls her eyes. "Why're we wasting time looking at an antique hat when we could be _getting out of here_?!"

Toothless whines in agreement and flattens his ears to his head.

Hiccup and Astrid look at each other in understanding before dropping the helmet and standing up. "Ruff's right." Hiccup says. "Let's go. I think my dad'll be interested in hearing about this."

But before they get the chance to even take a step, they hear-

_"HELLO?!" _

And everyone freezes in place.

_"IS ANYONE THERE?!_

It's Hiccup who turns back first, his mouth falling open when he realizes... "Is that Snotlout?!"

* * *

At first, they don't think anything of the bubbles that roil the surface of the water, as if it were boiling. Nor the little bursts of fog that spurt from the thrashing pool, like swamp gas. The teens are too focused on racing across the slippery rock floor, straining to hear their friend's voice in the echoing caves. It sounds like he's moving _away_ from them instead of getting closer.

It's not until the sound of splashing and angry hisses behind them that they realize what's happening to them. The teens pick up pace as they run toward the opposite end of the Siren's nest, toward another series of tunnels. But then, a pair of black eyes emerges from said corridor and the Riders skid to a halt, Toothless growling quietly as he shifts to keep himself between the humans and the Sirens.

With a pang of fear, Hiccup realizes these dragons aren't as mindless as he'd thought they were. They might not understand human speech...but there's one thing these creatures seem to be very good at.

And that's strategy in hunting.

Toothless snarls as the situation becomes clear to him. Even _he_ hadn't realized what was happening until now. They're surrounded on all sides but one. The Sirens don't completely show themselves so they can't get shot or attacked but their black eyes and hisses are enough to ensure the trapped teenagers that there's no point in fighting back. They're badly outnumbered.

_And to think we assumed there was only one at first... _Hiccup muses numbly as they're forced toward the only available path, a narrow bar of sand jutting only inches above the roiling water. It leads into a tunnel but there seems to be light on the other end that they can see even from here.

"We're being herded." Astrid whispers as they begin slowly backing up into the corridor.

"Yup," He mumbles. "I guess that's why they didn't attack us before. For whatever reason...they want us to go down that tunnel..."

"Why do you think that is?" Ruff asks them in a shaking voice.

Hiccup pauses before shrugging helplessly. "I guess we'll find out..."

* * *

"A last minute race?" Stoick grumbles as he scowls suspiciously down at Fishlegs. The nervous blonde boy only continues to stare at the space between his feet and anxiously wring his hands together behind his back.

"Um, y-yes sir." He stutters. "Wh-what with the new curfew and all...they figured they'd get as much flying done as p-possibly...you know...while they...can."

"Uh-huh." The Chief folds his arms as he looks back and forth between his son's friend and the Gronckle sleeping a few feet away. "And why didn't you and Meatlug join them?"

Fishlegs visibly flinches and he hesitates before stammering, "We uh, we decided...to...stay and clean up the Academy a little!" He nods his head a bit, as if deciding this cover story is believable. "I mean...you did say this place is..._dusty_, right, Chief? So...Meatlug and I...were gonna _dust_ it...a little..."

Stoick suddenly sighs deeply and shakes his head. "Listen, lad. I know you're just covering for them."

Fishlegs lifts his worried blue eyes and whimpers, "You do?" Before catching himself and beginning to ramble as he tries to correct the mistake. "I mean-they're not-"

Stoick only lifts a hand to silence him. "Just tell me where they went. I'm not going to get angry."

But the Rider grimaces. "I, um... beg to differ, sir."

So Hiccup's father raises an eyebrow questioningly at him and watches as Fisglegs seems to finally cave. However, he doesn't get the information he really wanted.

"MY NAME IS FISHLEGS! I LIVE ON THE ISLAND OF BERK! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DRAGONS OR THOSE WHO RIDE THEM!"

Stoick sighs deeply before stomping off toward the village and leaving Fishlegs to calm down and catch his breath in the Academy. _I'll give him until nightfall to get home. _He decides. _But he's cutting it awfully close._

* * *

**_A/N: NO CLIFFHANGER! WOOP WOOP~ XD_**

**_Also...I saw HTTYD 2 yesterday...no 3D but still...oh my gods. I'm...I'm in shock._**


	6. Prisoners

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: Have I mentioned I don't know how to swim and am totally petrified of water...? Yeah, I guess that's kind of obvious in this chapter...**_

_**In response to...**_

_Guest: **You should definitely go see the movie as soon as possible, it's AMAZING! And thank you :D**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Yep, it's a dragon alright! :D But you are also sort of correct when you say it might be a 'cross' with something else... You'll see :) You mean when she says "who is HE?" I hadn't actually thought of that...but I guess it could work. XD And YEAH! I did listen to it! It's sooo pretty, GOSH! I love that song~**_

_samsamwww: **That it was, my dear samsam...that it was.**_

_ChigauBakemono: **I managed to hold myself together and not cry (SOMEHOW) but my mom shed a few tears. So it's not just you. :) And thank you :D I'm glad you like them!**_

_Q-A the Authoress: **Yay, series references! XD Oooo~ IMAX 3D, fancy... XD**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **Yup, I figured I'd give you guys a break and try to find a way to end it without a cliffhanger. And yeah, I'm surprised Dreamworks didn't write Hiccup and Fishlegs as closer friends (especially since they're BEST FRIENDS in the books...) To answer your other questions, I'll be writing an HTTYD 2 fanfic directly after this one :D And, as of now, I plan to write for the upcoming series but by then I'll be in college so...I don't know if it'll happen. I will try my best though! Have fun watching the movie~**_

_InsaneWarrior0: **Wow, thank you so much :D I'm glad you find my stories enjoyable to read and appreciate the legitimate effort I put into writing them :) It's always really nice to hear someone say things like that, really brightens my days :D So thank you again!****  
**_

_camilleRomance: **Yep, more than one Siren! ;D And yes, enthralled is a lovely word (especially if it describes your reaction to my story XDD) Ehhhh...the helmet is semi-important in explaining something later. You'll see.****  
**_

_UnbreakableWarrior: **Thank ya' :D**_

_Breyannia: **As always, you'll find out :)**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Yup, he probably will be. And thanks! :D**_

_Lakota1172: **Hopefully you'll get to see it soon! :) And thank you XD**_

* * *

The sandbar the Riders find themselves walking along is only about a foot wide and rises out of the water no higher than three inches. In the murky light of the tunnel, the ponds on either side appear black and they soak the sand and dirt of the teens' pathetic walkway, making it more like a sludgy pile of mud that their boots sink into with each step.

_Splash!_

The kids jump in fear at the sound of something moving in the water, but when they turn their heads to look, they find nothing but black silhouettes slithering just below the surface and beady eyes watching them from the darkness.

Hiccup whimpers as a fin of some kind peeks out of the pond for just a second, _just_ long enough for him to see its spiny folds and fanned edges. And then the pool swallows it up again, leaving only the slightest ripple behind. He gulps, trying to calm the trembling in his hands and slow the rapid flutter of his heart. Now isn't the time to be panicking... They need to think of a plan to get out of here before the Sirens decide play time is over.

And where in Thor's name are these things herding them to? And why? Why not just kill them now? Why force them to walk down a tunnel? It doesn't make sense! These Sirens could easily knock them out with that mist they spew. There are only four of them, they could get picked off one at a time if need be...so WHY?

"Woah!" Ruffnut gasps as she slips backwards, her fall being broken by Toothless's head as he gently lifts her back up to her feet.

"What happened?" Astrid whispers to her.

"I tripped on something...!" Ruff replies, sounding a bit disturbed as she motions to the item that caught her foot.

Hiccup swallows and groans weakly when he sees it. A human skull laying half buried in the wet sand. Right beside it is another bone jutting up...and another. _Someone died here. _He realizes, that sick feeling twisting his guts again. _That or...they were dragged out here for some reason._

Sure, this Siren might be a dragon...but it's still a _dragon_! A species that hasn't had much experience around people, if any! And by the way his hands are shaking, Hiccup highly doubts he could train one...

But then, all of them stumble at once as they back up over a slight incline in the sandbar and then the floor below them becomes more solid. The ground is rock again. They're in another cave...

That's when they hear it...

"T-Toothless? Hiccup?!"

The teens turn, their eyes growing wide at who they see huddled against the wall behind them. "SNOTLOUT?!"

* * *

"It's getting late, Gobber..." Stoick growls as he stares out the window of the Dragon-dentist-turned-blacksmith-shop. "Those kids should be back by now..."

"Ah, you worry too much, Stoick!" Gobber assures him as he taps the Nadder's new iron tooth into place with his hammer prosthetic. "Besides, they've all got their dragons with them! They'll be fine!"

But just then-

_BAM!_

Both men flinch at the huge sound and go rushing outside, their mouths falling agape at the sight of a very familiar Hideous Zippleback with their heads stuck in fish barrels.

"Barf?!" Stoick shouts in outrage. "Belch?!" He races over to yank the barrels of their heads and while he's doing so, Gobber says,

"There, see! The kids must be home now if the twins' dragon is back."

The Zippleback coos gratefully before flying off toward the Academy, leaving Stoick and Gobber standing there outside the forge. One of them with two barrels tucked beneath his arms and the other picking food out of his teeth.

Stoick's expression darkens as he looks up at the nearly-black sky. "I'm going to see for myself." He decides as he hands his burden over to Gobber and stomps off in the direction of his son's Academy.

* * *

"SNOTLOUT?!"

The loud boy jumps to his feet, his face flooding with relief at the sight of his friends. He rushes over and, without thinking, throws his arms around his younger cousin's shoulders, hugging him so tightly in his blind relief that he lifts him straight off the ground and nearly crushes poor Hiccup.

"Ugh...! Okay! Sno-snotlout...please put me down!" Hiccup chokes out, yelping in surprise when the other boy suddenly releases him and he falls straight to the ground, landing heavily on his tailbone.

"I'm here too, ya' know!" Tuffnut grumbles as he stalks over, eyeing his sister suspiciously. "You can stop crying now, _Wussnut_!" But he grunts in pain when she punches him square in the jaw, knocking him flat on his back.

"I'm not crying because I missed you!" She snarls as she wipes her watery eyes. "I'm tearing up because it smells like _yak pies_ in here!"

"It does smell pretty bad..." Astrid agrees as she covers her mouth and nose with her hand.

"Shows what you know..." Tuff snorts as he stands up. "Those aren't yak pies, they're people pies!"

The teens fall silent in disgust and horror at what he means.

"Hey, there aren't exactly a lot of choice bathrooms around here!" Snotlout points out. "And _some_ of us have been here all day!"

"Yeah, about that..." Hiccup says as he stands up, patting himself down in paranoia just to make sure he didn't land in any of the..._people pies_. "I mean...not that I expected any different or anything but...how are you guys alive? Those Sirens dragged you off and we thought they...would...you know..."

"Eat us?" Snotlout snaps. "Yeah, thanks, by the way! It was your stupid plan that got us all into this!"

"Snotlout..." Astrid sighs wearily. "Don't start fights already."

"Well, to answer our 'great dragon conqueror's' question... I don't know. It doesn't seem like the Sirens wanted to eat us just yet." He replies with folded arms.

"Yeah, and it's not like they were trying to save us for later or anything...because they're definitely not short on food." Tuff adds.

"What are you talking about?" Astrid asks him.

But just then...they hear the sound of shuffling footsteps and low voices. Turning their heads, the new arrivals gasp at the sight of fifty or so people staggering out of a nearby tunnel. They wince at the relative brightness and shield their eyes, looking pale and weak and sickly.

Hiccup lifts his hands defensively as the newcomers begin to encircle the teens, their weak voices all speaking at once.

"Are you here to rescue us?"

"Can we go home now?"

"Has helped arrived?"

"Uhhh..." Hiccup begins nervously. "We were just forced down here like you guys..."

The crowd's rumblings decrease, being replaced by weary sighs and hacking coughs that make Hiccup flinch. These people are in bad shape... Are they all prisoners of some kind? But why would a dragon keep a prisoner? Let alone fifty! And...where did they all come from? Ceratinly not from Berk! What in Odin's name is going _on_ here?

Just as the crowd begins to disperse, Hiccup's expression suddenly hardens. His hands clench into fists and he frowns as he stomps toward the front of the cave. "Wait a second!" He barks, halting their tired retreat. "We might not have come down here intending on rescuing all of you...but that's exactly what we're going to do!"

The other teens exchange wide-eyed looks and then Astrid runs over and grabs his sleeve, yanking him close so she can whisper in his ear. "And how do you think we're going to do that? We've only got two dragons and _that's_ only if Hookfang hasn't gotten bored and left yet!"

"Yeah..." Snotlout agrees quietly. "And there are a lot of them...it would take all night to get everyone back to Berk. Most of them don't even come from our village anyway..."

"So, what?" Hiccup demands. "You want to just leave them behind?"

They both go silent again, reluctant to admit that that's exactly what they want to do. It'd be a lot easier to escape with just the six of them, that's for sure. But... These people will continue to be prisoners if they leave them behind.

"Alright, we'll do our best." Astrid agrees with a tight smile and Snotlout grunts his compliance as well, muttering something along the lines of 'whatever you say, dragon boy...'

"Okay, everyone!" Hiccup yells. "Get ready to move! There might be a lot of them but now there's a lot of us too! _And_ we have a dragon!" He points out, earning bewildered expressions from some of the non-Berkians.

At first, he receives nothing but a disbelieving silence. But then... "Do you...really think we can make it out?" Someones asks. And to this, Hiccup has to pause.

"Well...it's either we _try _to escape or stay stuck in this wet, dark, foul-smelling cave." He points out.

"And if we fail?" Someone growls.

"Then at least we tried!" Astrid pitches in. "Hiccup's right! What have you really got to lose?"

"Our LIVES!" Another barks.

"You're going to lose them anyway if you stay here! We all know it!" Hiccup shouts back. "Now, come on! We can make it!"

For a time, the crowd remains lingering in the darkness, reluctant to risk their lives for the plan of some puny kid. But then, someone shoves their way forward. "I agree!" The man decides and it's only then that Hiccup recognizes him and smiles gratefully.

"Thank you, Cowlick." He says. "Anyone else?"

Slowly at first, and then all at once, the missing Vikings come surging forward to go through with his reckless plan. Gripped in their beefy hands are the pathetic remains of axe handles and broken swords, as well as a few bones and rocks. These meager weapons won't help much but they surely boost the morale, for as soon as everyone is armed, they start yelling battle cries and charging the tunnel...

* * *

When Stoick finally arrives at the Dragon Training Academy, he finds his suspicions had not been mere paranoia. Stormfly, Barf, and Belch are running loose around the Arena, shooting fire at each other and literally climbing the walls. Their Riders are nowhere to be found. And now, it's officially dark.

With a furious scowl, Stoick runs back toward town to inform Gobber of what he's going to do. He'll need someone to watch the village while he goes searching for his disobedient son and his mutinous friends!


	7. Nightfall

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: This chapter was sooooooooo fun to write! I hope you guys like it! :D (GORE WARNING!)**_

_**In response to...**_

_samsamwww: **Lol, yeah, I love awkwardly adorable moments between Snotlout and Hiccup. XD I wish there were more in the series as well. (And yes! The Fishlegs hug was incredibly funny! XD)**_

_InfinitiumAce: **By cross-species, I mean it doesn't exactly *look like* a dragon... (If I'm not mistaken, you get a clearer image of it in this chapter...or the next one, I don't remember.) And yeah, Hiccup's leadership skills come in handy here. Kinda... As for the longer stories, errr...I guess I could give it try if I think of a suitable plot. :)**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **Lol, hoarder-Sirens... XD**_

_Cottonmouth25: **Yup, I'm not as bad as I used to be but I still HATE getting water on my face and I almost never go to the pool/beach. Even though there's a public pool only about fifteen minutes from my house... I agree with you on that one, humans have no business in the water. XD**_

_Breyannia: **...just..Stoick spanking Hiccup... WHY IS THAT IMAGE SO AMUSING?! XD**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Lol, you'll see what happens when Stoick eventually finds him... XD**_

* * *

"RAHHHHH!" The captive Vikings scream their battle cries as they charge the tunnel, their makeshift weapons striking the air as they pump their fists excitedly. They're going to get out of here! Even if it kills them!

"Come on, bud!" Hiccup shouts over the roar of the crowd, hopping onto his dragon's back to take the lead. Hopefully, he and Toothless can clear a path for everyone else. That should make escape a little easier.

They burst onto the muddy sandbar and are immediately greeted by the outraged hisses of the Sirens, who are just barely visible below the murky water. The pools begin to thrash as dorsal fins split the surface, purple mist spraying upward along with icy droplets of water that pelt Hiccup's face as he rides by.

His eyes narrow in concentration at the sight of a long, black tentacle exploding out of the frothy pond. He can still feel its grip around his ankle and he shivers. "NOW, TOOTHLESS!" He hears the telltale shriek of a charging plasma blast and holds his breath, silently praying his dragon has had time to build up more shots.

Then-

_POW!_

There's a pained howl and the tentacle disappears back into the water as a brilliant flash of light illuminates the cave. "YEAH!" Hiccup cheers triumphantly. "Way to go, bud!"

Toothless's pupils are mere slits in his eyes but he coos at his Rider's praises and fans open his wings a little to create a kind of shield on both sides of his fragile human. The Night Fury's ears fold back and he picks up speed, his throat already screaming as he prepares another bolt of fire.

He has to use it a split second later when, this time, an actual _leg_ -complete with talons and scales- shoots out of the water next to him and rakes its claws along his side, shedding a few of his own black scales.

"You okay, Toothless?" Hiccup asks as he cranes to see the damage but Toothless only growls and keeps running. It's obvious these 'Sirens' don't use their claws much. They're dull and rounded and barely even made a scratch on his tough hide.

Hiccup smirks at his friend's determination and turns around to check on everyone else. Despite their sickly appearances, they're still Vikings. And there's one thing Vikings are good at: fighting for their lives. The captives grunt and shout with the thrill of battle as they smack away tentacles and clawing appendages. Hiccup even finds himself chuckling proudly when Astrid herself smashes a reptilian foot into the ground with the handle of a broken battle-axe she found.

Soon, the cave is filled with pained growls and yelps as the Sirens slowly retreat deeper into the pools of water, which are beginning to cloud over with dark red blood. From what Hiccup can tell, no humans have fallen. They're actually winning this fight!

_I guess the Sirens are more accustomed to luring one person at a time, not fighting a small army all at once. _He realizes with a please grin. _We might actually get out of here with our lives intact!_

But Hiccup _really should_ know not to count his chickens before they've hatched... Because in the very next instant, he hears a terrified scream and whips around just in time to see Astrid dangling upside down by her ankle, in the grip of a writhing tentacle.

"ASTRID!" He cries as his heart leaps into his throat. Toothless skids to a halt and barrels back in her direction. They don't quite make it in time to stop her perilous fall to the ground as the Siren slams her back down again, and Hiccup winces at the sickening sound of bone breaking as his friend screams in pain.

Astrid's eyes are closed as the Siren begins dragging her toward the water. Its tentacle is hacked away at by the other Vikings and a few grab the girl's shoulders to stop her from being pulled into the water. Toothless is quick to join them and he bites down on the collar of her shirt, yanking her backwards.

But the tentacle is unrelenting and Hiccup's eyes grow wide at the sight of her ankle. It's completely bent in the wrong direction and blood is pouring from her torn skin. And to make matters worse, that same snapped appendage is now suffering the full brunt of a tug-of-war between a sea monster, a handful of Vikings, and an angry dragon.

Even now, he can see more of her skin tearing. If he doesn't end this soon...he won't be the _only _Dragon Rider with a peg leg!

So with a determined scowl, Hiccup slides off his dragon's back and grabs a broken sword one of the Vikings dropped when they scrambled to grab onto Astrid. Its tipped may be snapped on but its edges are still razor sharp. He races down to where the tentacle is laying against the edge of the sandbar and grimaces at what he's about to do.

Then, he angles back his arm and slices straight into the Sirens appendage, earning a..._morbidly_ satisfying scream from the beast. Blood spurts from its torn flesh but it refuses to release its prey. So Hiccup does the only thing he can...and finishes what he started. With one more messy cut, the Siren howls in agony as its tentacle is severed. The beast rears out of the water for a moment, its black eyes squeezed shut as it shrieks once again and Hiccup scrambles backwards with a yelp of fear as its other tentacle lashes out at him, just barely missing his face.

But then it falls back into the thrashing pool in a cloud of blood and disappears, the rest of the Sirens following suit because they, too, are injured from the battle with the Vikings.

Hiccup struggles to steady his breathing and fights the overwhelming urge to vomit right then and there. His hands are sticky with blood as he can't stop staring at the still twitching tentacle laying beside him. Stars flash in his vision and for a while, he's sure he's going faint... But then he hears Astrid moan quietly and he snaps back into reality.

He slowly turns around to find her curled up on her side, gripping her broken ankle and shaking almost as bad as he is. "Astrid...!" He breathes and he scrambles over to her. Her face is pale but her eyes shimmer with pain when she opens them to find Hiccup hovering over her. "Gods, are you okay?" He asks.

She scowls at him and chokes out. "My ankle is broken. _No_, I'm not okay!"

Oddly enough, he finds himself smiling at her aggressiveness. "Don't worry, you can ride on Toothless. We'll get you out of here."

She nods jerkily and gasps in pain when Cowlick carefully picks her up and carries her over to Toothless, who obediently bows his head to allow her on his back. "Are the Sirens gone?" She demands, craning her neck to see past the crowd.

"Yes." Hiccup assures her. "We scared them off."

"Oh, good..." She mutters as she drops her head onto Toothless's back and shuts her eyes again, probably to pass out from the pain.

* * *

This time, everyone manages to find their way out of the cave and, soon, the tired, shaken Vikings are standing out in open moonlight gaping at the sight of a docile Monstrous Nightmare being hugged by Snotlout. Everyone but the Berkians, of course.

"Amazin'...!"

"They've tamed dragons...!"

Hiccup sighs as he trudges out beside them, his legs aching with all the walking and running he's had to do today. He grimaces as the foreign Vikings stare at Hookfang questioningly. _We're going to have a lot of explaining to do to convince them not to say anything... _

But for now, he simply shuffles over to the front of the beach and lifts his arms to gain everyone's attention. "Alright, listen up everyone!" He calls. "We've only got two dragons to work with for now so only a few of you can go on this first trip. But I'll have more sent on the way back. You'll all get taken to safety, I promise!"

"So who gets to go first?!" Someone snaps.

"Yeah! Who gets to leave right now?!" By the tone of their voices, Hiccup can tell he'll need to give them an answer immediately, otherwise risk everyone getting into a huge fight.

"The sickest go first!" He announces. "And the injured!" At the logic in his words, the rowdy Vikings settle down a bit and part for a few thin, pale people to come stumbling forward. They look like sacks of bones, their eyes all sunken in and surrounded by shadows. He has to wonder how long they've been kept in that cave...

The first of them crowd Hookfang's back, desperately gripping his back to stay balanced as Snotlout arrogantly chats to them about how _he's_ the one who trained him and how his dragon listens to no one but _him_! To prove it, he orders Hookfang to open his wings. But that only earns him flaming pants, which he has to put out in the ocean off the side of beach.

Hiccup shakes his head at his cousin and vaguely wonders why he was so worried about him as he sits down in the sand to rest his throbbing feet...er...foot.

"Hiccup," Astrid mumbles as she tries to sit up, only to wince in pain. "What are you doing? We don't exactly have time to burn, hop on." She says, patting the saddle in front of her. But Hiccup only shakes his head.

"Toothless can't carry as many passengers as Hookfang can and there are still a lot of really ill people who need care. He'll be able to carry more of them if I stay behind for now."

Hearing that, his dragon whines and shuffles his feet nervously. He doesn't want to leave his precious human behind on this accursed island. Astrid seems to agree with him.

"Well that's very noble of you, Hiccup. But I can't exactly steer Toothless with this ankle of mine." She points out. "So you _have_ to come."

Once again, he shakes his head. "It makes more sense for Ruff and Tuff to go instead. One of them can steer on the way to Berk and then they can get Barf and Belch to carry more people." He explains.

"And who's going to fly Toothless back here?" She asks him.

Hiccup sighs as he runs an embarrassed hand through his hair. "...my dad."

* * *

After the first load of passengers is flown away from the Sirens' nest, the rest follow Hiccup's lead and sit down on the beach to wait for their turn. Hopefully with more dragons, there won't be too many more trips back and forth and they can all return home by daylight.

Hiccup sighs as he draws in the sand with a stick, the shape loosely detailing what he's seen of the Siren. The sleek, flattened head. The beady blacks eyes. The fanned dorsal fin... And the two, long tentacles extending from below its jaw line. He shivers at the sight of the picture and quickly brushes it away with the heel of his boot, worriedly glancing over his shoulder for the hundredth time, as if expecting to see one of them crawling out of the cave at any moment.

But they appear to stick to the water so he really should keep his eyes straight, in the direction of the vast ocean before him where night has finally fallen. And if Astrid's theory was correct, and these things really are nocturnal hunters, then they'd better evacuate this island as soon as possible...or they're all going to be in a lot of danger.

* * *

_**A/N: Easily my favorite chapter so far! I hope you guys liked it as well!**_

_**...AND IT'S NOT EVEN THE CLIMAX! :D**_


	8. Leaving The Nest

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: Um, so...for anyone who's seen HTTYD 2...I'm really sorry about this chapter. Just...throwing that out there ahead of time... Yeah, you probably know what I mean already... (I couldn't stop myself)**_

_**In response to...**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **You're probably right about that... XD And thanks! **_

_Q-A The Authoress: **They don't speak Norse but the voices will *sort of* be explained in the next chapter.**_

_MHJohn64th: **That's fine! I understand that school is time consuming (trust me, I KNOW. XD) Yep, seems like you know what's goin' on :) And yay! I like surprising people (the whole deal with there being more than one Siren was supposed to be kind of a surprise so I'm glad it worked :D) And yeah, so far, chapter 7 has been my favorite as well. Although...chapter nine is going to be a pretty close runner-up... *wink wink* LOL!**_

_PT: **Thanks! And yeah, I love writing action sequences, they're so fun! And...sorry about your secondary-ankle-pain. XD**_

_Lord Jaric (x2 XD): **You'll see~**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Yup, the climax will be starting probably chapter 10 but it builds up next chapter. And you'll also get a detailed look at the Siren next chap too :) (also...not gonna lie, for a while there, I was actually contemplating having her lose her leg... o_o just for drama's sake, but then I figured that's TOO BIG of a plot device to just casually throw in there in the midst of a climactic battle so...I didn't do it.) But that's not to say I won't do it sometime in the future... **_

_Breyannia: **LOL! NEITHER CAN I! What have you done to us...?! XD**_

_Wanli8970: **When the Riders returned home, they told Stoick what happened. You'll see the result of that in this chapter...****  
**_

_Cottonmouth25: **Ehhh...you should probably just go straight to the terror...**_

_samsamwww: **As did I :)**_

* * *

Hiccup's head nods forward, his eyes drooping shut as sleep threatens to take him again. But then, he jumps slightly and his eyes pop open, only for them to flutter closed once more as his head lulls against his chest...

This has been an ongoing theme for the last twenty minutes, while everyone waits for the Riders to return. Silently, Hiccup curses the long distance between this island and his own, as he struggles to pry his eyes open again.

But he's so _exhausted_. All the stress of this day has finally caught up with him and his whole body aches as he sits on the shore, waiting on the return of his friends. The fact that he's usually fast asleep by now doesn't help either...

In fact, his only salvation is the frustrated grumblings of the other Vikings. Their voices are just enough of a distraction to keep him conscious until he begins to hear the far-off sound of wings in the distance. With a relieved sigh, he climbs to his feet, swaying slightly while he waves at the Riders.

Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf, Belch, Stormfly, and Toothless are all present. He smirks in tired amusement at the sight of Gobber struggling to keep Astrid's Nadder under control -since she must have remained on Berk to fix her ankle-...but his expression simply turns relieved at the sight of his father mounted atop Toothless. He knows he should just be afraid of the scolding he's surely going to get...but right now, there's _no one _he'd rather see flying toward him.

The other Vikings jump to their feet and surge around him, nearly knocking the tired boy over with their eagerness to be rescued. And soon, the dragons are landing on various parts of the beach and their saddles being filled to the brim with excited captives.

Hiccup watches his father say something to Gobber and then the Blacksmith slides off of Stormfly and climbs on Toothless, testing the controls before helping others onto the Night Fury's back.

"Son..." Stoick breathes as he marches over. Strangely enough, his expression isn't as blindly furious as Hiccup thought it would be. Actually, he just looks as relieved as Hiccup feels...

"Hey, Dad..." The boy greets as his father wraps his arms around his son's thin shoulders, hugging him tightly to his chest.

"For the love of Thor, son." Stoick grumbles as he pulls back, tilting Hiccup's chin up to get a look at his exhausted face. "You look awful. Like you haven't slept in days."

His boy nods as he rubs his eyes. "I _feel _ like I haven't slept in days..."

Stoick clicks his tongue and shakes his head as he stands up from his kneeling position in front of Hiccup. His strong hand remains of his son's shoulder as he turns back to the Riders, who are all ready to take off with their next load of captives. He nods to them, obviously indicating something, and then they fly away toward Berk, leaving Stoick behind.

"Dad? What are you doing?" Hiccup wonders.

His father turns back to him and smiles a little when he says, "You didn't think I was going to leave you here alone, did you?"

Hiccup smiles tiredly and doesn't mention the fact that there are still a handful of Vikings left here and he wouldn't be alone, regardless. Instead, he follows his father back toward the shore and sits down beside him in the sand. This time, he doesn't fight his heavy eyelids and is surprisingly unembarrassed when he finds himself drooping against his dad's shoulder as he finally allows himself to fall asleep...

* * *

It takes about another hour or so for the last of the Vikings to be rescued, Hiccup and Stoick included. But on that last trip to the Sirens' nest, only two dragons arrive. Hookfang and Toothless. The others must not have bothered since there are only four left to save.

Stoick smiles gratefully at Gobber, who lands right beside them on the beach, and pats Toothless's head as he attempts to stand up. It's only when he feels weight of his shoulder that he remembers Hiccup is still asleep.

"Hic-" Gobber begins, only to get cut off by Stoick, who leans down and simply scoops the exhausted boy into his arms and climbs into the saddle behind his friend.

"Let him sleep, Gobber." The Chief advises. "The boy's worn out."

Toothless coos at Stoick as they take off, hovering in the air for a moment while they wait for Hookfang to take off with the other two remaining captives. Then, both dragons turn and glide in the direction of Berk, flying steadily so they don't jolt their passengers. Two of which are not used to flying on the back of a dragon. And another who is sleeping peacefully, cradled against his father's chest as the cool night air brushes his cheeks.

* * *

By the time everyone arrives back on Berk, it's nearly midnight. The two captives on Hookfang are guided to the Great Hall where Gothi is looking all of them over and caring for them the best she can. Stoick slides out of the saddle, shifting Hiccup's weight carefully in his arms as Fishlegs and the twins hurry over.

"What happened?!" Fishlegs gasps, eyeing Hiccup suspiciously. "Did he get hurt?!"

"No, no." Stoick assures him. "He just fell asleep and I didn't want to wake him. He's dead tired."

"Oh." Fishlegs nods understandingly as Stoick starts walking home. "That's a relief."

"I'm going to take him home." The Chief continues. "How goes everything at the Great Hall?"

"Pretty well." The chubby boy replies. "The missing people will all be sent home in the morning."

"Good." Stoick says. "Make sure I get informed if something goes awry."

"Yes sir!" And then Fishlegs climbs back onto Meatlug and buzzes off in the direction of the Great Hall to finish up helping Gothi before he heads home. The twins exchange tired looks before shuffling off toward their Zippleback and deciding to just go to bed. They need it as much as Hiccup does.

* * *

It's only when they're about halfway home that Hiccup finally wakes up. He stirs in his father's arms before blinking open heavy eyelids and looking around in confusion. His brow knots when he realizes...he's back on Berk! "Dad?" He yawns, motioning for his father to let him down.

And Stoick obliges, realizing with some spark of pride and another part sadness that his son is a little heavier than he remembers. Then again, he's almost sixteen now...

Hiccup rubs his eyes as he falls into step beside his father, smiling gently at Toothless when the dragon purrs up against him. "When did we get home?" He asks his father.

"Just a few minutes ago." Stoick replies as they reach the top of the hill in front of their home. "I figured there was no point in waking you. You looked too tired."

Hiccup smirks apologetically at him. "Sorry." He says. "It's just been a...hectic day."

"That it has, son." Stoick agrees. By now, they've reached the front door and Stoick pulls it open, ushering Hiccup and Toothless inside. "I'm just glad you didn't get hurt."

Hiccup nods and rubs his eyes again. "You should have seen it, Dad..." He mutters sleepily. "I mean, it was terrifying but...you should have seen them."

"Who?" Stoick asks him, his eyebrow arching in confusion.

"The Sirens...!" His son tells him. "They're not Sirens at all, you were right! They're dragons!"

"They? There's more than one?!" His father gasps, earning a nod from Hiccup. "And you say they're...dragons?"

"Yeah. I didn't get a good look at them but they're about Toothless's size." He explains as he sits down at the wooden table in the center of the room. He motions excitedly with his hands as he struggles to describe the beasts to his dad. However, he's soon interrupted by Stoick, who shakes his head and says,

"Why don't you tell me this in the morning? You need to get some decent sleep, Hiccup. We _all_ do." When he emphasizes 'all', Stoick nods his head in Toothless's direction. The poor Night Fury is swaying back and forth, his green eyes drooping shut not unlike Hiccup's had been. "Your dragon has been through more than all of us combined..."

Hiccup's expression turns apologetic as he kneels beside his dragon and scratches Toothless's chin, inciting a content purr. "Okay. Sorry, bud. We can go to bed now."

And Toothless wastes no time in taking advantage of this and slogs up the steps even before Hiccup does.

Both Vikings chuckle and turn to each other. "I'll tell you in the morning." Hiccup says as he heads for the stairs.

"Goodnight, son." Stoick ruffles Hiccup's hair, earning a tired laugh from him.

"Night, Dad."

* * *

_**A/N: Hey guys! I have a family reunion today and MIGHT not be home until tomorrow afternoon. So if I don't update at my usual time tomorrow, I apologize in advance. **_

_**Thanks for reading and don't forget to REVIEW! :)**_


	9. Rude Awakening

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**A/N: So I'm thinking there will probably be two or three more chapters. :) We're almost done...!**_

_**PS: You guys probably know how much I love to listen to music while reading/writing. And sometimes I suggest songs to listen to while reading certain stories. So I would say "Siren's Song" (which was posted by Levon Mkrtchyan on Youtube) for this one!**_

_**BEGINNING OF THE CLIMAX!**_

_**In response to...**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **I think we all needed it...I know I did... (And I share in your exhaustion. I just drove a total of six hours for my family reunion and...I just...I just want to sleep...for a month...)**_

_TheGallopingCupake: **Thanks :) And I guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens with the Sirens.**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Yup, no point in writing about their return flight so...here they are! As for the Astrid-losing-her-leg fanfic, no promises but if I think of a coherent plot to go with it, I'll let you know.**_

_MHJohn64th: **Lol, I'd never abandon you on a school day! (I know that feeling) And yeah, Hiccstrid and Fatherly!Stoick/bonding moments my favorite stuff in the franchise! Those moments are so sweet! And as for chapter nine being a close runner-up well... haha... I guess you should just read it and find out. :)**_

_Wanli8970: **Thanks :D**_

_samsamwww:** Thank you...and sorry about your feels. I didn't intentionally salt your wounds... (okay, maybe it was kind of intentional... Sorry.) XD**_

_Cottonmouth25: **I'm assuming you haven't seen the movie yet so I'm just going to say ignore my author's note all together and go see HTTYD 2 as soon as possible... you'll understand then.****  
**_

_InsaneWarrior0: **Hm...he probably will, actually. XD That is, he WOULD...if he ever got the chance... (dun dun dun) **_

_Q-A The Authoress: **Thanks...it was...interesting... *flops tiredly onto bed to sleep for the rest of my life***_

_Breyannia: **Yup, they're home safe for now...but the Sirens are definitely not done with them yet. Thank you :D**_

_RazzlePazzleDooDot: **I'M SORRY! I KNOW I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON FOR DOING THAT BUT IT WAS COMPLETELY NECESSARY! XD sort of... okay, I'm just really sadistic and horrible. sorry...**_

* * *

A fine ocean mist sprays over Berk's beach as black waves roll in over the sand. It's still quite late at night and the entire village is asleep, even the rescued Vikings from the Siren's nest have succumbed to rest within the village's Great Hall.

That's why no one sees it at first.

The very edge of a multi-colored dorsal fin splitting the water as it snakes its way through the ocean, in the exact direction of Berk. The Siren's large, black eyes are narrowed in fury, its nose still full of the scent of the blood from its wounded offspring. As it glides toward its revenge, it lifts its massive head from the water and opens his snake-like jaws, breathing a pale purple mist over the shore like it's done a handful of times before.

The hallucinogenic fog seeps over the island, drifting through the air like a phantom as it follows the Siren's directions. And soon, it finds its target: a single house standing a bit away from the rest of the village.

The Siren growls furiously at the scent within. The human who severed its hatchling's tentacle is inside. And soon, the mist seeps under the door and floats into the house...

* * *

_CLANG!_

Hiccup wakes with a start, his eyes snapping open at the sound of something falling over downstairs. Sitting up, he rubs his eyes and glances around his bedroom. "Toothless?" He whispers, noticing his dragon isn't on his stone slab. But then, the groggy boy pauses, his head tilting slightly as he listens to something. "Dad...?"

Hiccup throws off his blankets and goes to the stairs, peeking down to find his father slowly trudging toward the door. His father's steps are clumsy and off-balance, like he's sleep walking, and he's mumbling quietly under his breath. But...

A fearful gasp escapes Hiccup's lips when he realizes. The first floor of his home is flooded with mist! The same kind the Sirens breathe! "Oh no..." As quickly as he can, Hiccup returns to his desk and grabs a piece of parchment. Tying the cloth around his mouth and nose, he holds it there in hopes the mist won't be able to penetrate it. Then, he runs downstairs to his father, who is just reaching out to take the door handle.

"Dad!" He barks, fumbling with his one free hand to grab onto Stoick's arm. "Snap out of it-WOAH!" He yelps as he's suddenly yanked forward as his entranced father tries to shake him off. "Dad! Come on!" Hiccup yells. "It's the Siren! It must be trying to control you!"

But Stoick doesn't seem to hear his son's pleas and he only continues dragging the boy alongside him as he tries to reach the door, drawn in by the images the dragon has placed in his head.

Hiccup growls in frustration when his father nearly manages to escape his grip. Not that the puny boy is really making much of a difference in slowing is dad's progress... He grinds his heels into the floor, even trying to dig the nails of his prosthetic into the ground to create leverage...but it doesn't help. "TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouts as he struggles to keep hold of his father. "I NEED YOUR HELP!"

* * *

And his Night Fury _does_ hear his Rider's cries for help. But...he's a bit occupied at the moment. Toothless snarls quietly as he squares off with the hatchling Siren. Even as a baby, this thing is almost as big as he is. And maybe even as deadly. _I'm sorry, Hiccup. Just hold on a little longer! _And then the two dragons pounce on each other, claws ripping and tearing as they grapple.

* * *

_Toothless...! _Hiccup silently pleas as he fights to keep Stoick from getting outside. He can now hear his dragon's growls and roars and he knows Toothless is also fighting to keep the Sirens at bay...but he isn't sure what to do to keep his dad from getting outside. Already he's been dragged halfway across the room and Stoick hasn't slowed down a bit. If anything, his trance is getting stronger as time goes by. The words he'd previously been mumbling under his breath are becoming more and more audible...and Hiccup winces when he finally realizes what his dad is saying.

"...Val...stay...Hiccup...have to...village...dragons..."

Hiccup grimaces as tears sting his eyes. He's heard the story before, of the day his mother died, but everyone always keeps it vague and short to spare his feelings. He knows she was killed by a dragon when he was a baby, probably trying to _protect_ him... But to hear his father saying the words he probably said to her the last time they _ever_ spoke...

He sucks in a deep breath to steady himself and tries to push the thoughts away. Now's not the time for this! And it's a good thing he's focused because a second later, Stoick yanks especially hard against his son's grip and, if Hiccup had been slightly more distracted, he would have gotten knocked over.

But his dad's struggles against him are becoming more violent. Hiccup pulls against him but is constantly dodging as his father's elbow nearly smashes into his ribcage three times.

"But you...dragons..." Stoick growls deliriously. "When you...axe...carry all of us... Walk like...talk...us...think..."

Hiccup's gaze goes wide when he recognizes those words. His father spoke them to _him_.

"Stop...fight...!"

Hiccup gasps as his his dad's arm gives a harsh pull and he goes stumbling forward, ending up falling against the door in front of his father, whose arm has finally escaped his grip. Hiccup snarls and reaches out again to continue but is suddenly halted when his dad screams,

"YOU'RE NO VIKING!" And then his powerful hand connects with the side of his son's face, the slap so hard it knocks Hiccup straight to the floor.

* * *

Toothless's head snaps up at the sound of his human giving a sharp cry of pain, in which time, the Siren lunges at him again. It nearly manages to claw his throat but the Night Fury is exponentially faster and fires a plasma blast right into his opponent's face, dropping the Siren like a fly. Then, Hiccup's dragon bolts for the window. He needs to help his friend...!

* * *

For a moment, Hiccup is just stunned. He lays there on the floor for a second, staring in bewilderment at the blood on his fingers from where he reached up to touch his lip. His father..._hit _him! He knows it isn't his dad's fault, he was being controlled, but...Stoick actually _hit_ him! "Dad..." He mutters, staring wide-eyed up at his father.

It's then that Toothless arrives. The dragon shrieks in outrage at the sight of Hiccup laying on the floor and, although he can't _see_ the blood behind the boy's parchment mask, he can still _smell_ it! He isn't entirely sure what happened...but first thing's first. He's got to clear this room of the Siren's mist. So the Night Fury opens his black wings and beats them hard enough to blow the fog away.

In the meantime, Hiccup sits up and unties his 'mask'. He winces as the cold air from his dragon's wings hits his split lip and tentatively reaches up to touch it again. His fingers come away coated in blood once more.

"H...Hiccup?"

The boy glances up, eyes wide at the sight of his dad wobbling dangerously and leaning his head in his hand. "Dad!" He breathes in relief, flinching when his happy smile pulls on his torn skin.

And that's when Stoick looks down and sees his son sitting against the door below him, a trickle of blood rolling down his chin...and guilt stabs through him when he realizes what he did. His brow furrows and he kneels down in front of Hiccup, who only continues smiling at him, trying to ensure his father it's no big deal. "I'm so sorry, son." Stoick says, prodding Hiccup's chin up so he can get a better look at his bleeding lip. "I...don't know what came over me..."

"It's okay." The boy replies. "It's the Siren's mist. It's...hypnotic or something. They use it knock out their prey, but I think it can also cause hallucinations."

Stoick nods, only half relieved that that's what caused him to hit his son. The other half of him is just angry that he wasn't able to fight the dragon's control. So with a frustrated snort, the Chief stands up and offers his hand to Hiccup, who takes it and is quickly tugged to his feet as well.

"Huh? Wait, Dad...! Where are you going?!" Hiccup demands as his dad starts reaching out for the door knob again.

"I'm going to find that Siren, that's where! This has gone too far!" And then he throws open the front door and takes a few steps outside...only to pause when he sees something laying motionless in the dirt in front of him.

Toothless scurries down the steps to Hiccup and sort of shoves his way past, positioning his body between the unconscious Siren and his already-shaken Rider. The Night Fury growls at the sight of it and shrieks warning at Stoick when the man starts walking toward it.

"Dad...!" Hiccup almost whimpers, craning his neck to see past Toothless. "Don't...!" But he's silenced by a single wave of his father's arm. "Toothless, let me through!" He whispers as he pushes past his dragon and hurries over to his father's side. His eyes go wide at the sight of the dragon at his feet. This is the first time he's ever seen one out of the water...and also the first time he's ever seen the entire creature all at once.

Its scales are as black as Toothless's although they lay more like that of a fish. The Siren's head is long and narrow with two slimy tentacles extending from its jaw, where a mouthful of serrated teeth are visible from where its mouth lays open. They remind Hiccup of a shark's teeth and he shivers at the thought of the unfortunate people who were eaten by them. Its body is long but...oddly shaped. More like that of an eel or a shark than a dragon. It doesn't have back legs, only a fishy tail, but its front legs are quite reptilian in nature, tipped with rounded claws that appear strong but next to harmless. Its only other distinctive features are the presence of a fan-shaped dorsal fin standing upright on its back...and Hiccup swallows when he remembers how terrifying it had been to witness these same fins cutting the water back in the cave... That, and a pair of underused wings that look frail and papery.

"Odin's beard..." Stoick breathes, his expression both fascinated and repulsed at the sight of such a hideous beast. But a moment later, he seems to recover and stands up, an angry glint in his eyes.

Hiccup stands too and frowns at him. "Killing it won't solve anything!" He points out before Stoick even gets a chance to voice his desire. "There are a lot more in that cave and we can't possibly kill all of them!"

So Stoick growls under his breath and folds his arms. "I'm not going to kill it." He grumbles, earning a relieved smile from his son.

"Good," Hiccup nods. "Because I was thinking...maybe if we can learn more about this thing, we can figure out how to train them!" He turns back to the Siren, green eyes already alight with thought. He vaguely wonders if dragon nip would work on them since they live primarily underwater...

"Alright." Stoick agrees reluctantly. "We'll tie it up and keep it in the Academy."

"Maybe we could-" But Hiccup is cut off almost immediately.

"But listen well, Hiccup!" His father snarls. "If that thing hurts _anyone_ else! Even a _scratch_! I won't hesitate to pop the devil's head clean off its shoulders!" And then he turns without hesitation and storms back toward the house to get some rope so they can tie the dragon up, leaving Hiccup and Toothless standing beside it in the yard.

The boy's dragon hisses angrily at the Siren but Hiccup waves him off, telling him to leave it alone for now. "It looks pretty hurt, bud. I guess you did a number on him..."

Toothless warbles in confirmation, nodding his head almost proudly as if to say 'you bet I did!' And while this confident act of personality would normally have made his human chuckle, Hiccup's gaze is still locked on the Siren. A fact that makes Toothless whine slightly and tilts his head.

"I think its wing is broken..." Hiccup mumbles, almost absently, as he motions to the creature's right wing, which is slightly twisted. He frowns and slowly moves toward the Siren. "We need to set it or something...otherwise, it'll heal wrong and-"

But he's cut off when the beast's eyes suddenly pop open and it arcs its injured neck off the ground, its jaws snapping furiously as it tries to bite into Hiccup's leg.

The boy gasps in surprise and stumbles backwards into Toothless, who catches him with his nose and roars threateningly at the other dragon. It's at that moment that Stoick arrives again. He rushes over to Hiccup, pushing his son behind him as the Siren struggles to get up, only to shriek in pain and collapse once more.

"Hiccup...!" His father growls warningly.

"You said you wouldn't kill it unless it hurts someone!" Hiccup reminds him adamantly. "And look! I'm fine!"

So Stoick grumbles reluctantly as he trudges over to the hissing Siren. He places a boot firmly on its neck to keep it still as his trained hands tie it up, using the last of the thick, tightly woven rope to camp its mouth shut. The creature thrashes as much as it can but, even so, its movements are sluggish and weak. Toothless really hurt it badly.

"There." The Chief says as he stands up, patting his hands together as if to dust them off. "Now let's move this thing to the Academy before it causes anymore trouble. We'll leave it there for the night and take a look at it in the morning..."

"Right." Hiccup says as he moves to help his father lift the heavy dragon. As they're carrying it to the Arena, neither of them are aware of the black eyes staring at them from the pearly surface of the ocean. Nor the gold-tipped dorsal fin that breaks the water about ten feet behind them...

* * *

_**A/N: So...yeah. That was unpleasant. XD**_

_**Thanks for reading and don't forget to REVIEW :D**_

_**(For one of my talent-less renditions of what the Siren looks like, you can pop over to my Tumblr (also called LeisaTheGreat) and search the tags 'siren sung' or 'siren') XD**_


	10. The Captured Siren

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**A/N: I hate it when I'm nearly done typing the responses...and then I accidentally hit the back button and lose everything... *ANGRY NOISES***_

_**In response to...**_

_Wanli8970: **Well, legit Sirens are more mermaid-esque but I did version my dragon-Sirens after mermaids so they're sort of a hybrid... XD And with Flara, I don't know when I'll be able to use her (or if I'll ever get a chance) since I have so many plots/requests in the works right now. But I'll let you know if I decide anything.**_

_Majora098: **Thank you so much :) I'm glad you're enjoying my stories & characterizations. :D**_

_Cottonmouth25: **I just referenced the fatherly moments between Hiccup and Stoick...dealing with THAT SCENE from the movie... o_o**_

_Q-A The Authoress: **Yup :)**_

_InsaneWarrior0: **Yeah, and it's real beauty... XD**_

_Breyannia: **Well I'm glad you're enthused! :D **_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Lol, probably. XD And yeah, so far chapters 9 and 7 have been my favorite...although this one isn't too shabby either, if I may say so myself. XDD (I'm just geeking out over it because I conjoined two smaller chapters together to make a longer one and I really like how it ends...you'll see.)**_

_NightFury101 (from chapter 1): **Lol, it's fine! I don't at all expect you to drop everything you're doing whenever I post a story! But I'm glad you're liking it so far and I hope you can catch up in time for the climax! (It's gonna be a doozy... LOL!)**_

_InfinitiumAce: **That's fine, computers suck... XD But I think you'll be surprised if you think that's where the story is going... And yes, I totally quoted the movie with that sentence. XD Thanks, I'll your offer in mind.**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **You'll see what it is by the end of this chapter... D'aw :( I really do hope you feel better soon. Get some sleep and eat soup and stuff. That makes me feel better :)**_

* * *

The next morning, Hiccup is slow to wake. He yawns deeply and his eyes are too heavy to open so he snuggles further down below his blanket furs and decides to go back to sleep. Until he hears the familiar coos of his dragon, that is.

The boy groans tiredly and swats at Toothless's nose when his Night Fury purrs and licks the boy's cheek, trying to rouse him from his slumber. "Nooo...come on, Toothless...five more-" Hiccup suddenly cuts himself off, tears stinging his eyes for a second as he flinches at the pain in his mouth. The entire left side of his jaw aches below the gauze his father tied there. He doubts his split lip is still bleeding...but it hurts a lot more than it did last night.

Hiccup hears Toothless's sympathetic whimpers and opens his eyes to find his friend leaning his head on the side of his pillow, a sad look in his bright green eyes. "It's okay, bud." Hiccup assures him quietly. "It doesn't hurt that bad." And then he sits up and tentatively grazes his fingers over the gauze, finding it sort of torn and hanging on by a single edge. It must have come loose in his sleep.

So, with grimace, he pulls it the rest of the way off. Toothless whines worriedly at the sight of dried blood on the bandage but Hiccup shakes his head. "It's fine, Toothless." He assures him as he turns to the window, squinting to see his reflection in its transparent surface. _Oh boy... _Now that the sticky gauze has been removed and it's no longer pulling on its torn lip, it actually feels more numb than anything. But it still looks terrible...which isn't going to sit well with his father, who _already _feels awful about it.

Speaking of Stoick, where is he? Hiccup tilts his head, listening to the utter silence downstairs and realizes his father must have already left. He feels a nervous twinge in his stomach when he remembers how out-of-it his dad had been while under the influence of the Siren...and part of him fears that one of those dragons could have gotten to him again...

Toothless warbles in surprise when Hiccup suddenly tosses his blankets away and fumbles over the edge of the bed for his prosthetic. The dragon snorts and nudges his Rider's hand away before carefully drawing the metal leg out from beneath the bed himself and handing it to the boy, himself.

Hiccup smiles gratefully as he attaches his prosthetic. "Thanks, bud." He says, scratching his friend's scaly chin. "I want to head down to the Academy to check on that Siren... Hopefully, Dad will be there already."

So the dragon coos in confirmation and stands up, trotting down the stairs ahead of Hiccup, who follows him a few seconds later, once he's gotten his vest and right boot on. As he climbs down the stairs, he chews his lip thoughtfully.

_What if we can't train the Siren...?_

* * *

A thick crowd has already begun to form outside the Academy's closed doors. Inside, the furious shrieks of a dragon can be heard and the villagers outside look both distraught...and curious.

Standing near the front of them, is Gobber. The blacksmith's voice shouts over everyone else's as he tries to convince them to go back to their lives and that there's nothing to see here. "The Chief has everything handled!" He tells them. "No reason to panic!"

But they don't exactly seem panicked. Especially once Hiccup is spotted. At the sight of him, they begin murmuring amongst themselves about how 'the Siren attacked his house last night' and 'he and Toothless managed to subdue it!'

Hiccup smirks nervously at them as he passes, head down and shoulders drooped, as if trying not to draw attention to himself. It's only once he reaches Gobber that he says anything. "What's going on here?" He asks quietly.

"Eh, everyone heard the ruckus last night...so when they heard you'd captured a Siren...well, naturally they're curious." His mentor explains casually. "Yer father was here a few minutes ago. Wanted me to tell you not to get near the thing until he returns." But even as he says it, he's pulling open the doors and hobbling inside. "But frankly, I think it gets nervous around crowds." As Hiccup follows him in, he notices why his friend said that.

The Siren is still tied up the same way as last night. Its black eyes staring hatefully at the two humans as they walk in, but its expression turns especially acidic when Toothless strolls in after them. It's thrashing violently and hissing below its makeshift muzzle, trying with all its might to escape the binding.

"Whatever you want to try, you'd better try it now." Gobber instructs. "Believe it or not, this is the calmest it's been all morning." And then he turns and heads back outside, leaving the doors open a crack...just in case.

Seeing that the bigger, burlier man has left, the sea dragon goes still. It narrows its eyes at Hiccup and releases a long, low growl between its teeth.

Hiccup swallows in fear but motions for Toothless to back off. "It can't hurt me now, bud. And you'll only make it nervous."

His dragon snarls in outrage and defiantly remains beside him, green eyes flaming with anger at the other creature. His teeth have slid into place and he opens his wings a little, almost flaunting the fact that he _can_ move his wings and isn't tied up.

The Siren replies with a harsh shriek.

"Toothless!" Hiccup scolds as he jabs a finger in the opposite direction. "You've gotta let me try, bud! Now go outside and wait with Gobber!" For a moment, Toothless only continues his stand-off with his enemy but after another commanding bark from his Rider, he reluctantly folds back his ears and turns away to slink toward the door.

He won't go outside and leave his Hiccup alone, but he _will_ give him some room to work... After all, if anyone can train this horrible beast, it's the Night Fury's Rider.

With his dragon out of the way, Hiccup returns his full attention to the Siren. It's gone perfectly still and, if it weren't for its roaming, black eyes, he might think it fell asleep. He draws in a steadying breath before offering a half-hearted smile and beginning to slink forward.

"Hey, there..." He begins in the calmest voice he can manage. "It looks like your wing is pretty badly hurt... It must be pretty sore."

The black sea dragon narrows its eyes as he gets closer.

"I know we kind of got off on the wrong foot...but I just want to help you." He assures it. "So...if you _wouldn't_ try to bite my good leg off, I'd really appreciate it." He tries to laugh at his weak joke as he motions to his right leg, which the Siren briefly looks at, as well. "So? What do you say?" He asks, slowly extending his hand forward toward the captive dragon. "I'll try to fix your wing and you don't kill me, okay?"

For a split-second, he thinks it actually might work. His hand is hovering only about an inch above the creature's forehead, but before he gets a chance to seal the deal, it releases a bloodthirsty hiss and thrashes desperately as it snaps its jaws below the muzzle.

Toothless roars and leaps to his feet, racing over instantaneously to shove Hiccup away from the suddenly violent dragon. The Night Fury snarls, his scales bristling in rage. How _dare_ this thing threaten his human?!

"Toothless!" Hiccup grumbles as he stands back up from where he fell when his dragon shoved him. "Bud, calm down! I'm fine, look!" He prods his friend's face in his direction and smiles reassuringly. "See?"

But Toothless's gaze immediately lands on the freshly scabbed slice in his human's lip. He knows Stoick is the one who 'hit him' but it was the Siren's fault his Rider got hurt! With that thought in mind, he whips back around to growl at his enemy again.

And Hiccup puffs out a sigh when he remembers that his incredibly intelligent dragon can also be quite stubborn. Especially when it comes to the safety of his human companion.

He's just about to ask Toothless to give him some room so he can try something else, when he hears the flapping of wings overhead. Looking up, his eyes go slightly wide when he sees who it is.

Hiccup folds his arms and frowns deeply at the sight of her. "Pardon _me_, milady...but you should be resting that ankle! Not flying around!"

Astrid shrugs as Stormfly lands in the Arena. Her injured left ankle is encased in several layers of bandages and braced against a splint, but she doesn't seem to mind it too much. She actually grins at Hiccup when he walks over and chuckles, "At least I still _have _my ankle..."

He glares at her poor humor before rolling his eyes. "Seriously, though, Astrid. You shouldn't move around too much on it."

And she nods in agreement. "Which is why I have Stormfly. As long as I'm not actually walking, I'm fine! Besides," She almost purrs as she narrows her eyes at him. "I seem to recall a certain thick-headed Viking walking around the very _day _he woke up from a _coma_ and _losing_ his leg."

Hiccup sighs. "Yes well, I _am_ thick-headed and believe me, that night I was wishing I hadn't walked around so much..."

"It's fine, Hiccup." She assures him suddenly, craning her neck to see past him. "So it's true then, you really did catch a Siren?"

He hesitates for a moment, not so sure he wants to end this conversation yet. She really should be taking it easy... Of course, who is he to talk? So instead of pressing the matter further, he simply nods. "I told my dad I could train it so he wouldn't just kill it but...so far, it's not going so well."

Astrid frowns. She leans down and pats the side of Stormfly's head, motioning for her to let her down. Her Nadder does so with a concerned squawk and watches with worried yellow eyes as her injured Rider slides down her wing, landing lighting on her good foot.

"Astrid...!" Hiccup sighs in exasperation and hurries over to her, allowing her to lean most of her weight on his shoulder. "What are you doing? I told you to sit still!"

But her focused, blue eyes are intent on the dragon behind him. The Siren snarls at her, also clearly remembering her from the battle in the cave. It curls back its lips and hisses at her.

"Are you sure these things can even be trained?" She wonders. "They seem pretty...feral."

"Well, we have to try." Hiccup points out as he slowly, awkwardly wraps his arm around her waist to better support her. Clearing his throat, he avoids her eyes and stutters with the continuation of his thought. "It's either train one...or try to kill all of them."

"And then we're right back in our dragon war..." Astrid mumbles, knowing that no one wants that. "Maybe we should...just give it some time." She offers. "I mean, these things probably haven't spent a lot of time around humans other than...well..._eating them_. Maybe if we let this one get used to us, he'll figure out we're not just food...?"

For a moment, Hiccup just continues to stare at the Siren. Its black eyes shimmer with resentment and he can't help but feel his friend is probably wrong. But what other choice does he have? And besides...telling his father that's their plan will certainly buy him so more time to think of a way to train it, if nothing else. So he nods his head and smirks at her. "It's the best we've got right now, that's for sure."

But Astrid's eyes have fallen on his split lip and she sighs. "What did you do?" She asks him, tipping his chin up to get a better look. "I swear, you are the clumsiest person I've ever known..."

Hiccup hesitates, a twinge of sadness in his chest when he remembers how he received his bloody lip...but then he shakes it off. It's not his dad's fault. So he just shrugs and says, "It was an accident."

Astrid blinks, taken aback by his hesitation and the troubled twitch of his brow she knows all too well. "What kind of accident?" She asks him, suspiciously. But before he gets a chance to say anything-

"Uh, Hiccup! You probably want to see this!" Gobber calls from outside. His tone is tight, almost...fearful.

The two Riders exchange knowing looks before Hiccup helps her back up into the saddle and they both run out of the Academy, only to skid to a halt at the sight before them.

"That's..." Astrid begins, her eyes roaming the beach as she tries to take it all in.

"...a lot of mist." Hiccup finishes, his suddenly trembling hand unconsciously finding Toothless's side as his dragon begins to snarl and bristle furiously.

Disturbed rumbles move through the crowd of Vikings as they watch the enormous plume of purple mist rising from the water. What is it? Where is it coming from? Only Hiccup and Astrid's expressions are both understanding...and terrified. They know what that fog is...and what it's capable of.

When the teens look at each other next, they don't need to say a word. Both of them already knows what needs to happen.

"Come on, Toothless." Hiccup mumbles as calmly as possible as he hops into the saddle and starts buckling himself in. _To get that much mist, there must be hundreds of Sirens out there. We're gonna need a distraction until the villagers are out of harm's way. _So they immediately take to the air and rocket out toward the beach at top speed.

"Everyone clear the area!" Astrid barks over the sound of the distraught crowd. "That mist is dangerous, we've seen it before! Go home and leave it to us, we know what we're doing!" _If only that were true..._

The crowd hesitates, their expressions becoming fierce as they reach for their weapons. They all clearly remember what nearly happened last time they left their heir deal with such a battle himself...

"You heard her!" Gobber shouts. "Return to your homes! The Chief will be here shortly, I'm sure!"

So after another few seconds of reluctance, the Vikings lower their weapons and hurry off toward home, trusting that the Riders and their Chief will be able to take care of this...whatever it is.

"Thanks, Gobber." Astrid says tightly. Her eyes are trained on Hiccup, who is circling over the beach, struggling to see how many Sirens there might be. "I've got to go help him." Stormfly squawks as her Rider signals her to take off but Gobber stops her.

"Not with that foot of yours, yer not!" He protests. "You fly off and find the other Dragon Riders! I've got to go alert Stoick to what's going on!"

"What about him?!" Astrid demands, jabbing a finger in Hiccup's direction.

"He'll be alright. Toothless'll keep him safe until help arrives." At the reassuring tone in his voice and the truth in his words, Astrid sighs in defeat. She knows he's right. She'll be of no use to Hiccup if she just gets thrown from the saddle and her foot gets even worse. If anything, he'd put himself in danger to protect her... Their best bet right now is the other teens and Stoick.

"Alright. I'll be back as soon as possible." And then she and Stormfly fly off in the direction of her friends' houses and Gobber hobbles away to find Stoick.

* * *

He doesn't understand it. The beach is absolutely smothered in fog so there must be hundreds of Sirens...and yet he doesn't see a single one. Of course, they're probably hidden beneath the waves but...you'd think he'd see _something_ to tip him off to their presence. But there's just...nothing.

Toothless's growls go quiet and his scales bristle, pupils so narrow they're merely slits. The Night Fury frantically looks back and forth, his nose twitching as he tries to sniff them out. It's maddening! He knows something is here, he can feel it. But he can't detect them in any physical way...

These things really are brilliant hunters.

Which is just great... Maybe Hiccup will add that to the Book of Dragons if they make it out alive. Which is looking less and less likely the longer they hover there above the shore, feeling like they're being stalked by invisible eyes all around them.

_Well this is eerie. _Hiccup comments dryly as goosebumps prickle across his arms. _I think I'd rather be fighting them than just sitting here waiting to be surprised..._

Fortunately -or unfortunately he soon gets his wish. And it comes in the form of the most massive dorsal fin he's ever seen. It splits the water so suddenly that ocean spray hisses against Hiccup's face and Toothless shrieks in surprise, his flying becoming momentarily clumsy as they both stare in horror as the single fin raises further and further out of the water until it nearly blocks out the sun...

"Well..." Hiccup gulps. "At least it's not a hundred Sirens..."

He's right. There's only one Siren here now. Problem is...it happens to be their very, very unhappy queen.

* * *

_**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! Climax starts next chapter!**_

_**(Also, if there seemed to be a part in this chapter that was choppy-sounding, it's because this was originally split into two different chapters but I ended up putting them together.)**_


	11. The Queen

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**A/N: Climax~**_

_**In response to...**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Don't worry, Astrid will be in the story more often now. :) And there won't much Siren taming so... o_o**_

_anime-rocks-08: **Thanks, I'm glad you're liking it :D**_

_Foxlight The Dragon Trainer: **Thank youuuu :)**_

_Breyannia: **It'll be...interesting, that's for sure. XD**_

_Q-A The Authoress: **Nope, probably not. XD**_

_InsaneWarrior0: **Yes, yes it is. (I'm picturing probably the same size as the Red Death or a little smaller (since the dorsal fin would be the tallest point on its body the way it's standing) And yes they are! I love them~**_

_NightFury999: **I'm glad you're liking it! :D And thank you :)**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **Lol! The queen's 'power' will be shown a little in this chapter (though this one is mainly set-up for the main climax) And YAY! I'm glad you feel better! :D SEE! Soup works! XD**_

_MissSharpenedSpikes: **Yay, attention is nice :) And yes, cliffhangers do their duty! XD**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **:DDD I'm glad you like it! (I like the queen's design to...it was really fun to put together~)**_

_NightFury101: **Lol, reality sucks. That's why I want to tell stories for a living...stories aren't reality. XD**_

* * *

A single, icy shiver rolls down Hiccup's spine at the sight of it. His eyes shine in both horror and fascination. The queen is unlike anything he's ever seen before. It's like some kind of morbid combination of fish and dragon. Both terrifying...and sort of beautiful, in its own way.

The sun glares harshly off its pale blue scales, which are covered in moss and coral from living underwater for decades. Although its skin is only pale near its head. The color eventually darkens to almost violet once it reaches its back and then shifts to green as it climbs up the dorsal fin, finally ending in a vibrant shade of gold at the tips of its fins and tail.

The queen's eyes are the darkest black he's ever seen, the pupil and iris indistinguishable from each other and when it blinks, there seems to be two separate pairs of eyelids. One vertical and one horizontal, each closing separately and then peeling back open.

The entire beach trembles as it finally claws its way out of the ocean, each of the massive beast's movement causing enormous waves to crash over the sand and its foot-long claws digging holes in the shore.

Toothless doesn't growl. His movements are stiff and rigid as he hovers there in place, his wings beating constantly to keep him in the air. Hiccup notices, with some confusion, that his dragon won't make eye-contact with the queen and he briefly wonders if this thing has a similar effect as the Red Death used to... If so, that make this a lot harder.

But he doesn't get a lot of chance to think about it because soon, the queen is moving again. In a single, fluid motion of rippling muscles and shifting scales, it rears its head forward and releases a wrathful scream, bearing row upon row of serrated teeth.

Hiccup winces at the loudness of it but leans down and pats Toothless's side. "Alright, bud. You ready?"

His dragon grumbles quietly and stretches his wings further open, sending them rocketing upward at nearly his top speed.

"Let's him it occupied until the others show up." Hiccup shouts over the wind. "Fire at its back so it doesn't get any closer to the village!"

Toothless drones in agreement before flipping around in the air and dive-bombing straight down again. His throat screeches, purple light flaming in his mouth.

The Siren queen watches them with narrow eyes. It tosses its head sideways, attempting to close its massive jaws around them but Toothless is too quick. He veers to the side, spinning away from its reach before firing a plasma blast at its back.

The queen roars, its back arching in pain.

Hiccup smirks as his dragon banks sideways, whipping around the Siren's back and then shooting back up into the clouds before it can even turn around to face him. "Good job, bud!" He calls, earning a smug snort from his friend. "That worked really well. Let's try it again!"

So the Night Fury dives down once more, preparing a second plasma blast as they plummet. His ears twitch and he looks sideways for a split-second, seeing the faraway shapes of the other Dragon Riders preparing to join them in the battle. Good. Back-up is always good. Especially against an enemy this-

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup screams as he pulls back on the saddle, tearing his dragon's attention back to the fight at hand. Both Rider and dragon shriek in fear at the sight of a black tentacle shooting toward them at a frightening speed. Toothless spins to dodge it and, at first, it appears to have worked...

But they forgot about the second tentacle.

All the breath freezes in Hiccup's throat when he suddenly begins to feel...weightless. As if in slow motion, he hears the sound of leather tearing and metal snapping. He feels himself lifting into the air as Toothless begins to fall away beneath him. His dragon's tail snaps shut and Toothless flails helplessly in the air, screeching in confusion and terror until he realizes what has happened.

The second tentacle scraped his stomach, and where it normally would have wounded his tender underside, it instead broke the harness of Hiccup's saddle. And now both of them are sailing downward under the force of gravity, right toward the shallow water and certain death...

But then-

Hiccup yelps in pain as a pair of strong, sharp talons clasp his shoulders, once more halting his death plummet so suddenly his joints nearly grind out of socket.

"You really have been rubbing off on me!" A voice calls down from above.

Hiccup glances up, still wincing in pain but gapes at the sight of Astrid smiling down at him.

"But it's a good thing I decided not to listen to you! Otherwise, well..." She winks slyly before Stormfly suddenly releases him and then flips around until she's flying underneath him and Hiccup lands in her saddle, right behind Astrid.

"Th-thanks!" He stutters, feeling shaken and weightless and a bit dizzy from his fall. He hugs his arms around her waist for balance before looking over the side of her Deadly Nadder. And sighs in relief at the sight of Hookfang gliding away with Toothless dangling from his grip. "Couldn't ask for better timing..." He breathes as he momentarily closes his eyes to let his stomach catch up with the rest of him.

"You're welcome." She nearly purrs, satisfied that they're both safe and she now has every reason to help fight. "Do you think you can fix Toothless's saddle?"

Hiccup frowns and opens his eyes again, watching silently for a second as Barf and Belch zip by, breathing gas over the queen and then igniting it so the Siren is distracted by the flames. Then, Meatlug attacks from the other side, drawing their enemy's attention away from the twins. "I don't know. I have to see it first."

She nods and then asks Stormfly to land. "You should probably see your father first." She suggests, nodding her head toward Stoick, who is standing on the edge of the beach, staring up at them.

Hiccup smiles tightly down at Stoick, noticing the immense look of relief on his dad's face. He must have seen his son falling a moment ago... And the second Stormfly lands, Hiccup is encased in powerful arms and lifted off the dragon's back in an embrace so strong is nearly crushes his ribs.

"My boy...!" Stoick mumbles as he sets Hiccup down. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." Hiccup tells him, deciding not to mention the fact that his shoulders sting like fire. He probably just tore a few muscles, nothing serious. "Where's-"

"SNOTLOUT, SNOTLOUT, OI, OI, OI!" The ground trembles as Hookfang drops Toothless into the sand and then lands heavily beside him. Hiccup's Night Fury shakes his head and snorts in frustration. He shakes himself before peering around the beach in annoyance until his slitted eyes land on Hiccup.

"Toothless!" Hiccup breathes as he hurries over, throwing his skinny arms around his dragon's neck. And while his friend purrs contently, happy that his human is safe, his irritation is almost tangible. Hiccup backs off from him and smirks weakly. "Don't worry, bud." He says as he kneels down to try and fix the tattered saddle. "We're not giving up just yet... That thing doesn't know who it's dealing with."

And Toothless growls in confirmation, his eyes glowing with fury as he turns to face the queen, who is watching as the other Riders, minus Astrid, attempt to keep its focus off of Hiccup. He can only hope they don't do much damage...he wants to fight that thing himself.

* * *

_**A/N: Yep, short chapter. Sorry about that. **_

_**But thanks for reading and don't forget...I love reviews! ;D**_


	12. Battling The Queen

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**A/N: More and more keeps getting added to the outline for this story so we're still only about 80% through... Climax continues in this chapter.**_

_**In response to...**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Aw, I'm sorry to hear you have a cold! I hope you feel better! D: **_

_NightFury999: **Thanks, I'm glad you like it! :) (And I KNOW! Fatherly Stoick is adorable and actually really accurate to his character...so I love it too!)**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Thanks! :) (I really liked how its design turned out! My tablets are FULL of sketches of it XDD) And oh. my. god! HTTYD 2 is AMAZING, isn't it?! **_

_NightFury101: **Well I'm glad the description helped you :)****  
**_

_Cottonmouth25: **Lol, XD**_

_InsaneWarrior0: **Yes, yes, and yes. Also yes. XD They're most likely screwed. Lol!**_

_Breyannia: **Lol, don't worry! They'll get their action soon enough...!**_

_Rachalie: **Yay! :D****  
**_

_Heslen: **HTTYD 2 IS awesome, but you should definitely try to see the first movie! It's so cute, arguably just as good as the prequel, if not better! And yay! I'm glad you're liking the story! :)**_

_Ampria: **Great! :D I'm glad you've liked the chapters so far! And yeah, that father-son moment was one of my favorites as well! :) **_

* * *

Stoick watches with an impassable expression as Hiccup goes to work on the seemingly-ruined saddle. His son's hands move in a flurry of nimble, experienced fingers as he begins to tie torn leather back together and snap shattered pieces of metal back into place. Hiccup's expression is focused, despite the fact that the entire beach shakes every time the queen Siren moves.

He listens to the firm tone in the boy's voice each time the Riders fly close enough to hear it. "Attack it from behind!" "Stay away from its tentacles!" "Keep it away from the village!"

And his friends appear to obey him without a second thought. Their dragons circle the queen, firing blast after blast of flames. And the enormous Siren howls in fury and confusion as it frantically looks back and forth, back and forth to keep an eye on all of them at once.

But unlike the Red Death, this queen _does_ have a blind spot. And it's a rather big one, at that.

The twins snicker menacingly as they hover right behind the Siren's eyes, which sit at the stop of its head, similar to an alligator. And soon, the other Riders figure out what they've discovered.

Within seconds, the queen is screaming in pain as fire slams into the back of its head. Its claws raking the air as it tries to figure out where the assault is coming from. It can't see its opponents anymore.

Stoick notices a proud smile lighting Hiccup's face when he chuckles, "Good job, guys." Before standing up and dusting himself off. "The saddle is ruined." He admits to his father and Astrid. "But I think I've got Toothless's tail mechanism to function without it."

"How?" Astrid asks, staring suspiciously at the senseless mass of tangled chords of leather and haphazardly replaced buckles.

Her friend shrugs before hopping onto his dragon's back and snapping his prosthetic into the lop-sided stirrup, which is now connected to something else entirely. "I improvised." He says as he pats Toothless's neck. "Looks like we're going bareback, bud. You ready?"

The Night Fury snarls in confirmation and snaps open his wings.

Hiccup looks back at the tail and carefully moves the controls, smirking at the sight of the mechanical tailfin popping open. "Alright, then. Let's-"

"Wait, son." Stoick interrupts as he strides over.

Toothless growls in annoyance but obediently doesn't take off yet.

Hiccup is about to ensure his father he'll be fine and there's no need to worry. But before he can say a thing, his dad places a firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"Be careful." He says, giving the boy's arm a squeeze before removing his hand. Stoick offers a confident smile and Hiccup blinks in surprise. He'd been so sure his dad was going to tell him not to risk it, that it's too dangerous... A soft smile touches the boy's lips as well and he nods.

"I will, Dad." He says as he turns back to the queen, preparing to take off.

"And try to stay _on_ your dragon this time!" Stoick adds as Toothless rockets upward, leaving both he and Astrid in a plume of dust and sand.

"Will do, Dad!" Hiccup shouts back down, still grinning to himself. Even after all this time, and all the responsibility he's been entrusted with recently...he still practically buzzes with pride whenever his father has confidence in him...

His reappearance on the battle field is marked by a fiery explosion of violet light and the familiar screech of a Night Fury.

* * *

Astrid waits until her friends have joined the fight before returning to Stormfly, who has been patiently waiting for her. "Alright, girl! Let's get in there and-"

"Just a second, Astrid." Stoick stops her. "There's something I want you to do... And if I'm right about this, it _could_ be why the queen is here in the first place."

She arcs a questioning eyebrow and sits back in the saddle, waiting for him to explain.

* * *

Hiccup sees Astrid taking off and he swears under his breath, knowing she's going to insist on helping them fight. However, he's proved wrong when her Nadder turns and flaps off in the direction of the village, instead. Could his father have talked her out of it?

His thoughts are anchored back in reality, however, as one of the queen's tentacles come flying toward them. Toothless banks to the side, just barely dodging the assault and immediately searches for the second appendage which appears beneath him again! He narrowly avoids it and quickly flies up toward the clouds. Once they're out of range of the Siren's attacks, Toothless flips around and fires a plasma blast down at the queen's face, causing it shriek in fury. But it doesn't even leave a _dent_ on its strong scales.

So this thing is tough _and_ fast!

Not the best combination...

Hiccup glares in concentration, his eyes flickering back and forth as he tries to find a plan to defeat this thing. Even though his friends are doing a very good job at keeping their distance and distracting the queen, eventually someone is going to slip up. And when they do...the consequences could be dire.

He needs an idea as soon as possible.

But his resolve comes a little too late. Because in that very next instant, Snotlout screams in shock as something wraps around his shoulders and yanks him off Hookfang's back! His Monstrous Nightmare roars in outrage and flips around to fire at his Rider's attacker but is effectively slapped away by one of the Siren's taloned feet.

Hiccup's cousin is tossed high into the air...but the queen doesn't try to catch him. Instead, it tenses at the sight of Hiccup's eyes growing wide...and lunges forward the moment he and Toothless dive forward to catch the falling Rider.

Sirens really are great hunters...

* * *

Stoick watches in horror at the sight of his nephew sailing toward the ground. Snotlout flails his arms desperately and shouts for Hookfang's help, but the Monstrous Nightmare is still trying to catch himself from falling. Which isn't easy when you're as large and heavy as he is.

But then, a dark blur flashes across the sky and Snotlout is gone. When Stoick sees him next, he's dangling from Toothless's feet and the Night Fury has turned his head upside down to check on the boy.

The Chief smirks proudly at his son's quick thinking and is about to cheer him on...until he sees the black shape suddenly looming behind him. He watches as Hiccup goes stiff and spins around, only to yelp in terror as the enormous, clawed foot comes smashing down over them.

"HICCUP!" Stoick cries desperately. He charges forward as if to catch his son but is blown backwards when the Siren queen shifts in the water and its massive tail stirs up a huge wave that crashes into him.

He struggles to sit up, spitting salty water from his mouth and shaking the burning stuff from his eyes. Just in time to see Toothless crash hard into the sand and skid several yards to the base of the nearby cliff, only to slam into its rocky side and come to a complete halt.

However, his back is empty. Of both saddle...and Rider.

Where...where's Hiccup?

Stoick flinches at the sound of something else hitting the ground. He whips around and finds Hiccup and Snotlout both laying in the sand, about twenty feet apart. And where Snotlout slowly sits up and shakes his head... Hiccup remains motionless as the vengeful queen Siren moves toward him.

* * *

_**A/N: Ugh, this chapter was incredibly difficult to write! I don't know why! It took all afternoon and I only got about 1,300 words... UGHHH...**_

_**I hope it doesn't sound too bad... o_o**_


	13. Prey

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**A/N: More climax! (Plus a bit of Hiccup and Snotlout family moments! Along with...OTHER things... (don't blame me, two other people said it was a good idea... XD You'll know it when you see it.)**_

_**In response to...**_

_Snowflake: __**Thanks :)**_

_Wild Dog - untamed cainine: __***Happy writer squeal* Wow! Thank you so much! :DD You literally just made my day! *Internet hug* THANK YOU! :)**_

_Slowpoke09: __**You'll see~ :)**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: __**D'aw, don't cry! XD But yeah, I was in a family-fluff mood when I wrote that so we have both Stoick AND Snotlout 'bonding' stuff...sort of... XD **_

_anime-rocks-08: __**Thanks :) I'm glad you like it!**_

_InfinitiumAce: __***Phew* I really was worried about it sounding like crap since I had a bit of writer's block last night... But as always, you guys are so nice about these things! (Thanks!) *ornery grin* Caught that soundtrack reference, did you? XD Excellent! And you'll see if you're right about the hatchling...**_

_Heslen: __**Thank youuu! I'm glad you're liking my fanfics and find them exciting and whatnot! :) Ugh, I know! The music from the entire franchise is sooo beautiful! My favorites are Test Drive, Forbidden Friendship, and...well...ALL THE MUSIC, actually. XD **_

_NightFury999: __**Thanks :) And I shall!**_

_InsaneWarrior0: __**Oh! XD Sorry! LOL! **_

_Foxlight The Dragon Trainer: __**You'll see, I guess... :)**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: __**Yes, falling off a cliff would definitely be horrid! You'll see how/if they make through...**_

_Q-A The Authoress: __**No, no it is not. XD**_

_Jesusfreak: __**;D**_

_Guest: __**Thank you! :D**_

_Apocalypsefantasy: __**I...I don't even... :'D WOW! Just WOW! Thank you so much! And to answer your question, my terribly sweet reader, I have a few HTTYD 2 fics planned though I'm not sure which I'll do yet... **_

_maladiven: __**Thank you so much! :D I'm glad you like my stories and you'll definitely LOVE HTTYD 2! (Yes, Hiccup and Astrid are more romantic in the second movie... :D) Yay! 10/10! And don't worry about it, your English sounds fine to me! :) **_

_ChigauBakemono: __**Ooo, chills~ Excellent! XD Thanks! LOL!**_

_Breyannia: __**Lol, you'll see!**_

* * *

"Come on, Stormfly!" Astrid shouts over the wind as her Nadder frantically speeds toward the beach, where they can both see that the fight is going downhill fast. The Riders are firing endlessly at the queen, but it's ignoring them now and moving further and further into the shore. It appears to be...going after something.

Her stomach drops when they clear the cliff...and find Hiccup laying motionless in the sand and Stoick sprinting as hard as he can to reach his unconscious son before it's too late.

However, neither of them can possibly make it in time. And within seconds, the queen Siren's foot slam into the ground over Hiccup's body, its claws creating a sort of cage around him.

Stoick skids to a halt just as the queen's other foot crashes into the ground in front of him, spraying sand and stone high up into the air. He growls and unsheathes his sword, preparing to stab into the horrible creature's leg, when one of its tentacles suddenly grabs him around the waist and tosses him across the beach. He lands heavily, flat on his back, but still struggles to right himself despite the jolts of pain that roll up his back whenever he moves. The fall knocked the breath out of him...

But that doesn't matter!

He has to help Hiccup!

He has to save his son!

Stoick staggers to his feet and grits his teeth, fighting for air as he charges back toward the queen, who is staring intently down at Hiccup and tilting its head as if studying him. For some reason, the scrutinizing look in its eyes infuriates the Chief even further. Hiccup isn't some prey for it study before devouring! Like a child playing with their food before eating it...

"Chief!"

He doesn't turn around, doesn't even acknowledge Astrid has spoken to him until she gets close enough to the ground for him to jump onto her dragon.

"Get me up there." He growls. "I'm getting that thing away from my son!"

Astrid nods curtly. "Yes sir."

* * *

"Uhhnn..." Hiccup doesn't realize he's awake until he feels a painful pressure on his chest. At the back of his groggy mind, he thinks it's Toothless laying his head on him the way he does when he wants his Rider to wake up. So he tries to lift his arm to push his friend off of him...but finds he can't move hardly at all. The most he can do is squirm slightly beneath the weight...

But that's when he feels the way his 'bed' shifts loosely below him, like sand. And his previously muffled ears begin to hear what sounds like voices screaming his name...and a very subtle, very _close_...growling.

He drags his eyelids open, struggling to remember where he is...only to find himself trapped beneath enormous, black claws and only inches away from the emptiest, darkest eyes he's ever seen.

He feels himself go pale as he shrinks back from the Siren's searching gaze and presses his lips together to choke out the terrified scream that is building in his throat. His mind is suddenly very clear...but he's wishing he could just go back to sleep.

* * *

Snotlout groans and shakes his head, reaching up to press the heel of his palm to his forehead so he can hopefully settle his throbbing headache. "Ugh, gods..." He grumbles, blinking several times to clear his vision. "What happened...?" He yelps in surprise at the feeling of a dry, warm snout nudging his back. Turning around, he breaks into a smile. "Hookfang!"

The Monstrous Nightmare snorts when his Rider hugs him around his jaws, his eyes going narrow when he realizes Snotlout must have gotten his head all mixed up when he fell. He doesn't appear to remember what's going on... So in order to remind him, the large dragon lifts his head -and his Rider- straight off the ground and turns in the direction of the gigantic queen so his human can see the slight issue they're faced with.

And the moment the loud boy spots his younger cousin trapped within the queen's claws, his mouth falls open. HOW COULD HE FORGOT THAT!?

"C'mon, Hookster!" He shouts as he jumps back into the saddle. "Let's see how this thing does against the team of _Snotfang_!"

His dragon growls in confirmation and then leaps into the air. As he sails toward the Siren, he lowers his tail just enough so that it smacks over Toothless's head, effectively snapping the groggy Night Fury out of his pained daze.

Toothless blinks several times, allowing his vision to slide into focus...but then shrieks in outraged realization when he sees what kind of ridiculous predicament his danger-prone Rider has gotten himself into this time!

His scales bristle in frustration and fear as he charges to join the fight, falling almost into step with Stormfly as she carries Astrid and Stoick closer so they can drop off their 'secret weapon' as close to the queen as possible.

* * *

The queen hisses at its captive prey, watching with mild interest as he squirms below its claws, only to fail miserably at his every attempt of escape. The human goes very still when it begins to put more weight on its foot, his green eyes snapping wide open with alarm when he realizes it's becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.

Hiccup's breath hitches in his throat at the sight of the Siren opening its jaws. He whimpers at the sight of its three rows of serrated, razor-like teeth and forked, black tongue. Shivering, he squeezes his eyes shut and turns his away, knowing it's going to kill him now...

But then-

"SNOTLOUT, SNOTLOUT, OI, OI, OI!"

Hiccup gasps as a sharp wave of blistering heat slams over his face and the world is suddenly twenty times brighter. The sand pops and snaps as fire roars over it, instantly turning pieces of the ground to glass. And the Siren wails in pain, its feet lifting away from its prey as it rears back its head and rakes its claws through the air in hopes of killing whoever ruined its hunt!

"HICCUP!" It's his father's voice this time.

The shaken boy turns to face is dad, who is flying toward him on Stormfly, along with Astrid.

"MOVE!" Stoick barks, jabbing a finger at the queen, who has lost track of Snotlout and Hookfang (who are hovering in its blind spot) and is returning to its catch. Its claws drop down toward him but Hiccup has snapped out of his daze and rolled away.

Stoick jumps off of Stormfly's back and draws his sword, this time successfully sinking it into the queen's leg. It screams in agony and yanks its foot up, thrusting the weapon out of Stoick's hands, but he doesn't care. That got them enough time to escape.

He races past the shrieking dragon and grabs Hiccup by the back of the collar, yaking him along much too fast for his clumsy feet. The boy nearly falls several times but manages to stay upright, despite the waves of blinding sand and sea-spray that whip up around them as the Siren thrashes in pain and struggles to claw the sword out of its skin.

He and his father have nearly managed to make it back to Stormfly and Toothless...when the queen suddenly whips its head down, black eyes narrowing in blind rage as blood pours down its scales, and opens its jaws, releasing a flood of vibrant purple mist over them.

Both Stoick and Hiccup are swallowed by the violet cloud and disappear from sight all together.

* * *

Astrid yelps in surprise when her dragon suddenly leaps into the air, beating her wings hard to get them high enough so that they can avoid the mist. The Viking girl doesn't thank her dragon for her quick thinking, however. Instead, she cranes over the side of the saddle, desperately searching the cloud for her friends... And is rewarded by the sight of a burly figure staggering out into the open.

Stoick's face is red and his lips are pursed shut. When he first stumbles into view, Astrid worries that Hiccup may have gotten separated from him...but then she sees the skinnier frame of her friend wobbling clumsily under his father's arm.

They're both okay...or so it seems.

"Stormfly, down!" She orders urgently. And the Nadder obeys, but her attention never leaves the queen Siren, who has gone back to trying to rip Stoick's weapon out of its flesh...and is not doing a very good job.

"Are you both okay?!" Astrid demands as she slides down her dragon's wing. She leans most of her weight on Stormfly and keeps her injured ankle off the ground, but still manages to catch Hiccup as he's pushed in her direction by his father, who suddenly sucks in a deep breath, obviously having held it the moment he saw the mist coming...

But Hiccup doesn't appear to have been so lucky. He's coughing heavily and his breathing is wheezy. Astrid wraps an arm around his shoulder as he braces against her dragon's side to steady himself.

"What happened?" She asks Stoick.

"I think he managed to breathe some in before I covered his mouth. Maybe not enough to knock him out but..." His eyebrows suddenly arc upward as his son slowly slides to the ground and shakes his head, dizzily. "Hiccup? Are you alright?"

For a long moment, Hiccup doesn't respond. He reaches up to lean his forehead in his hand and then lowers it, blinking rapidly as he shakes his head for a second time. "I, um..." He begins. "I feel...funny..."

"Funny how?" Astrid asks him suspiciously.

He pauses, chewing his lip. When he speaks again, his voice is almost...slurring. "I'm...not suure..." He admits as he begins to blink a lot again. "Just..._funny_..." He then giggles quietly and clumsily reaches out to pet Toothless, who is sniffing him curiously.

"Okaaaay." Astrid raises her eyebrows and then kneels down beside him and holds his shoulders because he's wobbling a lot and it looks like he might pass out. "Sir, should I-"

"Yes, stay with him." Stoick confirms as he barges over to the 'secret weapon'. The hatchling growls at him below the muzzle but he ignores it, hefting the creature onto his shoulder before turning back to his son and grimacing. "And...keep him here. I don't like the way his eyes look..."

Astrid nods, also noticing the swimmy look on his face. What exactly did that mist do to him? He's acting downright silly! "Good luck, Sir." She says as he runs off toward the Siren, who is being circled by the Riders again.

The queen whips its head down to glare at Stoick...when its gaze finds the hatchling on his shoulder. And then its eyes go wide and it begins to lower its head...

* * *

_**A/N: So, yep...weird chapter. I know. Things are going to get even weirder next chapter, I promise you that much... XD **_


	14. Out Of It

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**A/N: WEIRD CHAPTER ALERT! XD**_

_**In response to...**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: __**Lol, I'm glad you found it funny, it was meant to be. XD **_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: __**Lol, my sister had her wisdom teeth taken out and it was HILARIOUS to watch. XD**_

_InfinitiumAce: __**Yup, Hiccup is acting rather drunk. XD And you'll see what happens with the hatchling & drunk-Hiccup. **_

_oceanzap: __**You'll see~**_

_tannerleah97: __**Maybe, it all depends on how this story ends... :)**_

_NightFury999: __**Sorry... But I'm glad you liked the chapter and you'll see what happens with Hiccup. XD**_

_Breyannia: __**Oh god, if this were a silly fluff fic or something slightly more light-hearted, I might make the twins 'take advantage of it' XDD (Could you imagine the sort of mayhem that would cause? X'D) And you'll see!**_

_Guest: __**Your qustions will be answered soon enough :)**_

_Snowflake: __**...or does she? (DUN DUN DUN)**_

_Krazikidz: __**Lol, he is acting mighty drunk. XD**_

_NightFury101: __**Thanks, I like to occasionally throw in random funny moments just to lighten the mood or break up long action sequences... Or in this case, I couldn't resist drunk Hiccup... LOL!**_

_Ashling Alroy: __**Lol, THANKS! :D I'm glad you like it!**_

_RazzPazzleDootDot: __**Lol, how did I know you would enjoy that? XD**_

_Vampire-Queen-Kazumi: __**Depending on how much is inhaled, it ranges from hallucinations to unconsciousness.**_

* * *

Stoick's eyes never leave the Siren's as he slowly, cautiously lowers its hatchling to the ground. It slides off his shoulder, landing with a muted thump in the sand, and then he takes a careful step backwards, tensing as the queen tilts its head and shifts forward.

_Come on. _ The Chief urges. _Take your hatchling and leave! _He glances over his shoulder at the two teenagers he made stay behind. Astrid appears to be trying to talk to Hiccup and her hand is pressed to his cheek as he sways dangerously back and forth. But Hiccup seems to reply with only nonsense because her expression is one of bewildered confusion and she keeps shaking her head in disbelief. Yeah, that mist definitely did something to him.

_ I don't have time for this! _Stoick decides with a growl as he turns back to the queen, who is tentatively sniffing the younger Siren. He braces as the massive creature shifts its gaze back to him and slowly lifts one of its feet, claws extending toward the hatchling.

With a quick flick of its talons, the ropes are severed and the captive Siren leaps to its feet -broken wing and all- and bolts toward the water, slipping below the surface in a matter of seconds.

The queen watches it flee with tense, black eyes.

Stoick holds his breath, silently praying the hatchling's return will be enough to satisfy the queen. However, the enormous dragon turns its gaze back to Stoick and its snout curls up, a growl rumbling in its throat as it bares its fangs.

He doesn't even see the tentacle coming...

* * *

The other teens have just arrived by Hiccup and Astrid's side. And while most of them are watching the tense exchange between Stoick and the queen, Ruffnut briefly glances down and her eyebrow arcs in both intruige...and amusement. "Uh...is he okay?" She chuckles, nodding her head at Hiccup.

Astrid glares at her for drawing attention to their oddly-behaved friend. As of now, Hiccup is laying on his back and staring up at the sky. His eyes are half-lidded and his pupils have dilated. Toothless is staring at his Rider with a mixture of concern and disbelief as the boy alternates between mumbling under his breath and giggling uncontrollably. "He's fine." She tells them quickly. "Stoick said he inhaled some of the Siren's mist but...I'm sure he's fine."

"Um, are you sure?" Fishlegs asks in a slightly nervous voice. "His eyes look funny."

"Yeah they do!" Tuffnut laughs, earning a grumpy scowl from Astrid.

"You know what, guys? I actually think this is an improvement!" Snotlout snickers. "I'm pretty sure this is the longest Hiccup has ever gone without bossing us around!"

The twins laugh but Astrid only shakes her head. "Can we please focus!" She barks. "Hiccup is okay, I'm keeping an eye on him! But you four need to get in there and help Stoick before something bad happens!"

"Huh?" Snotlout raises his eyebrows. "I thought you said releasing that hatchling was your 'secret weapon' or something!"

"It is...but just in case, I'd feel better if you guys were nearby to help if something goes wrong." She explains, motioning to the way the queen is sniffing the captive Siren and seems to be about to free it. "Just be ready to move if-" However, she cuts off as soon as the queen's talon slices through the ropes and the hatchling escapes into the water.

And they all suck in a collective gasp as their Chief is suddenly blindsided by the queen's tentacle and sent flying across the beach!

Astrid opens her mouth to tell them to go, but they're gone before she even forms the first word, the wind of their dragon's wings so powerful it sends her tumbling backwards. Astrid scrambles back onto her hands and knees, flinching at the throbbing pain of her bandaged ankle. Fire explodes across the Siren's body and it shrieks, clawing at them as they attack.

"Astrid...?" Hiccup mumbles deliriously, but she ignores him, too focused on trying to decide if Stoick is alright. He was thrown pretty far...and he isn't moving. "Astrid...!" The drugged boy repeats, sounding annoyed.

"Not now!" She snaps, waving him off. It only vaguely registers to her ears when he starts moaning as if he were in pain. And then Toothless starts whimpering and nudging his human to comfort him. But then-

"AHHHH!" Hiccup screams and jolts upright, inciting a shocked yelp from Astrid -who spins to gape at him with wide, horrified eyes- and Toothless to leap straight off the ground before backpedaling several feet.

Hiccup's hand is outstretched, as if reaching for someone and his expression looks like he's just seen a ghost. Now, his pupils are mere pinpricks, almost indistinguishable within his green iris.

Astrid's brow furrows in concern and she hurries over to him, all worry for Stoick and the Riders suddenly forgotten as she kneels in front of him. "Hiccup?" She asks in an urgent voice. "Hiccup? Are you okay?"

She watches as his pupils expand a little and then recede, and then expand and recede, again and again as if he were trying to adjust to strange lighting. His hand is trembling when she reaches out to grab it, but the moment her hand touches his, he blinks several times and lowers his head.

"A...Ast...Astrid?" He mumbles, squinting to see her through blurry, flashing vision. "You're...you...you're...okay...?"

"Huh?" She asks, leaning in a little closer to touch his cheek. "Hiccup, you're the one who inhaled mist, not me."

He's swaying dangerously and shaking his head. "No...no...you...you were...it was the...queen..." He mumbles. "I thought...thought you were...gonna..."

Her eyes widen in realization. _A hallucination? _"No, I'm fine." She assures him gently. "Are _you_?"

His head nods forward and leans against her shoulder, causing Astrid to go rigid for a moment. And his next words are spoken in a soft, coherent voice that almost sounds normal. So much so that it makes her face go bright red. "I love you..." He whispers into her shoulder...only moments before giggling deliriously and flopping onto his back again.

But Astrid remains frozen in place, her throat so tight she can hardly speak. "W-wow..." She grumbles as she clumsily gets up and dusts herself off. "You're...really out of it, aren't you?"

Her only response is a bubbly laugh from her mixed-up friend and a bewildered stare from Toothless, who seems convinced that his little human has lost his mind.

* * *

Back on the sane side of the battle-field, Stoick has finally managed to climb back to his feet. He winces at the pain in his side, where the tentacle hit him. He's sure there must be a monstrous bruise there but does his best to ignore it.

Instinctively, he reaches for his sword, only to remember it's lodged in the queen's foot. So with a growl, he turns to face his son. The Riders aren't doing so well on their own, they need back up! However, his hopes are shot at the sight of Hiccup, now laying on his back in the sand beside Astrid, who seems flustered and is quite red in the face.

So neither of them are capable of fighting... And without dragons that are trained for fighting, he doesn't dare ask help from the other villagers. They would only get injured...or killed.

But then, what can they do? Their only hope had been that the queen wanted its hatchling...but now it has it back and it's still attacking! What can they do? There has to be something...!

Stoick watches intensely as the Riders fire blast after blast at the queen. They must be nearing their shot limit by now. And once that happens...

"AHHH!" The twins scream as they plummet toward the ground, having been swatted out of the air by the Siren. Barf and Belch land heavily on their stomachs, too exhausted from the fight to even break their own fall. "Come on, guys!" Ruff encourages. "We've gotta get back in there!"

But the Zippleback doesn't move, other than to puff out a tiny cloud of green smoke. They've reached their limit...

Soon, Meatlug is spinning toward the earth as well, with Fishlegs clinging to her back for dear life. And not long after, Hookfang tries to fire, only to cough up a pathetic spark and flash a sheepish look to Snotlout, who groans in annoyance.

The Siren queen roars almost triumphantly when the Monstrous Nightmare is forced to flee the battlefield, or risk getting knocked out of the air as well.

As soon as the last of its opponents are gone, it turns a narrow-eyed gaze toward Stoick, who puffs out his chest and stands his ground, refusing to back down. This is _his_ island. And it'll be over _his_ dead body before some overgrown fish destroys it!

No matter how likely that outcome is beginning to look...

* * *

The first thing he coherently registers is a fearsome roar that shakes the ground below him. His head rings long after it has ended and it takes a tremendous amount of effort to pull himself up into a sitting position. But once he does, Hiccup is faced with a sight that makes his throat clench tightly shut and his pulse race.

"D...Dad?" He whispers.

_**A/N: So...cliffhanger, a terrible sense of humor, a short chapter, and potential possibility for feels that come much too soon... Why do you guys read my stories, again? I'm pretty much the worst.**_

_**Also, if you're interested, there are two alternative "I love you scenes" posted under my fic called Lost Files (it will be chapter five) XD  
**_


	15. Saving Toothless

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**A/N: Finale battle!**_

_**In response to...**_

_anime-rocks-08: **I'm glad you enjoyed it. XD (It was certainly fun to write!)****  
**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Yeah...don't worry...it's not going to be THAT cliche. XD And as for your assumption...we'll see.**_

_NightFury999: ***raises hands in surrender* Just read the chapter! You'll see what happens! XD**_

_Snowflake: **Thanks, I'm glad you found drunk Hiccup enjoyable. LOL!**_

_MissSharpenedSpikes: **I guess cliffhangers are the price you must pay for daily updates, then. XD**_

_KraziKidz: **You'll see~**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **Lol, thank you for summing that up! XD HA! That's awesome! My sister saw the little thing they always stick on your thumb afterward and was like, 'WHAT IS THIS?' ;_; It was hilarious! XD**_

_InsaneWarrior0: **Yep... *happy sigh* That was a little TOO fun to write. XD And the reason it's 'leave' instead of 'left' is because of the whole present-tense thing. (At least, I'm assuming that's what it is...I'm too lazy to actually go back and look at the sentence you're taking about XDD)**_

_Jesusfreak: **I'm glad you liked that moment, LOL! XDD And d'awwwwww! Thank you :D**_

_Lord Jaric: **Just the whole fact that this is such an inappropriate time for drunk Hiccup to emerge XDD**_

_Breyannia: **And here you shall find your answers... :)**_

_Wanli8970: **I warned you!**_

_Vampire-Queen-Kazumi: **Lol, that was my favorite part too! XD And you'll find out in he remembers or not...**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **HA! Mist-overdose? Is that what this is called now? XD And you'll see what happens. :)**_

_Q-A The Authoress: **Possibly... ;D****  
**_

_Apocalypsefantasy: **Sorry about your feels... But hey, drunken-confessing Hiccup is here to cheer you up! XD And the mist basically makes you hallucinate about various things, although a lot of the time it makes you see the people you care most about. AKA, Valka and Hiccup for Stoick (even though his hallucination was a lot sadder) and Astrid with Hiccup :)**_

_Heslen: **Wow, I've heard a lot of good things about that book...you think mine is better? o_o THANKS! :D**_

_MHJohn64th: **Chapter 9? Geez, you did miss a lot! XDDD (btw, the reason the Sirens have a queen is because EVERY nest has a queen and the Sirens have their own personal nest, like Fireworms, who also have a queen.) And as for the moment of drunk-Hiccup, it was basically just meant for comic-relief...not to be a serious Hiccstrid moment... Anyway, I'm glad you're liking it and good luck with school! :)**_

* * *

"D...Dad?"

Astrid glances over her shoulder, finding a very dizzy-looking Hiccup staggering to his feet. He's holding his head in his hand and his eyes are squinted...but they look clearer than before. Less dilated. She hesitates before turning back to Stormfly. "Cover the Chief, girl." She says, earning a squawk from her Deadly Nadder, who immediately lifts her spine-covered tail and prepares to fire if something goes wrong.

Then, the Viking girl turns back to her friend and cautiously approaches him. After all, who knows what he might do next? "Hiccup...?" She asks gently. "Are you okay?"

He nods slowly but his gaze never leaves Stoick. "What...what's he doing?" He asks, even his words sounding clumsy as he struggles to think straight. "Why would he...?"

Astrid frowns and finally reaches out to lift his chin so she can see his eyes. They look clear enough, but he's still swaying slightly. "I'm not sure what he's planning." She admits. "But I'm sure he's got something up his sleeve."

However, Hiccup turns his head to look back at his dad...and his lips tug down. "I'm not so sure..." He grumbles as he pulls away from her. Then, his attention finds Toothless standing a few yards away, snarling threateningly at the queen Siren. He's willing to bet his Night Fury has still got some shots left...

Looking down at himself, Hiccup chews his lip. His mind is, admittedly, still a little fuzzy, and the world is tipped at an odd angle...but he knows that if he can just manage to _stay_ on Toothless's back, his dragon can chase the queen off. So the Chief's son pulls out of Astrid's grip without warning and hurries over to Toothless, who doesn't even notice his presence until he's climbing onto his back.

"Hiccup!" Astrid barks, racing after him. She catches his wrist and stops him from taking off. "What do you think you're doing?!" She demands.

"I've got to help my dad." He tells her.

"The only thing you'll be doing by going out there in your condition is putting yourself _and_ your dragon in danger!" She hisses. "No way am I letting you-"

Astrid is cut off at that moment by a furious shriek from Stormfly. The Deadly Nadder fires a tail-full of spines at the Siren queen, who ignores them entirely, despite the fact that three of them stick in its hide.

Hiccup stiffens, his breath catching as the queen lifts its massive foot, flexing its black talons...and prepares to step down on Stoick. "WOAH!" He yelps as Toothless suddenly shoots forward, yanking his Rider out of Astrid's grip.

In the blink of an eye, the Night Fury shoots a plasma blast at the Siren, causing it to howl in pain and pause as purple flames crackle across its skin. In that time, Toothless jerks his body to the side, effectively tossing Hiccup from his back. And then, as his human lands on the ground, the dragon leaps forward and sinks his teeth into the queen's leg, throwing the massive creature off balance...and sending it crashing onto its side!

* * *

Hiccup coughs as sand swirls in the air from where it was kicked up by the queen's fall. His voice is raspy and shaking with fear when he calls out, "TOOTHLESS?!"

But he receives no answer, other than the startled mumbles of the other Riders, who are now hovering above the dust cloud and staring fearfully down at the beach. Did Toothless just...

"TOOTHLESS?!" Hiccup yells again as he staggers to his feet, his dizziness forgotten until his vision betrays him and he trips and falls onto his stomach. He hears the sound of rapid footsteps and recognizes Astrid's touch as she helps him stand. But she doesn't say a word...

Hiccup hears his father coughing in the distance and is relieved that he, at least, is okay. And his son can breathe a sigh of relief for that later...but for now... "TOOTHLESS! BUD?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Still no response.

He feels Astrid's grip on his arm tighten and his stomach sinks. _Please...no..._ They both pick up pace at the sight of the queen's large silhouette in the distance. The Siren shifts its weight and groans, hissing in pain at the feeling of sand and salt water stinging the burns it received from the other dragons. As well as the two gaping wounds on its legs. One from the human Chief's sword...and the other...

Its black eyes narrow hatefully when it spots Hiccup's dragon, laying beside it. The Night Fury is slowly pushing himself up, but he shakes his head slowly. Obviously, he's still a bit jarred from falling with the full weight of the sea dragon.

"TOOTHLESS?!"

The queen snarls, furious that its prey is going to escape. It can't risk engaging in another battle with the boy's friend, not with these kinds of injuries and a whole nest of wounded hatchlings to care for.

So it won't get what it came for...

But it will get the next best thing. Hiccup's best friend.

* * *

Hiccup and Astrid gasp as a sudden wind blasts the cloud of sand away. They stumble backwards, rubbing their eyes, before squinting through the dissipated flurry...and gasping in terror.

"Toothless...!" Hiccup almost whimpers. His dragon is dangling by the neck from one of the queen's tentacles, thrashing violently and shrieking in outrage. The Siren almost smiles down at its prey, as if teasing him that is friend's life is resting in its hands. And the boy's reaction is quite satisfying.

Hiccup looks helpless. He stares pleadingly at Toothless, as if begging him to somehow get free. His only response is the Night Fury's sudden pained whimper as the Siren tightens its grip around his tender throat. And then it's too much for Hiccup. He grinds his teeth together and lowers his head, his own throat feeling almost as tight as Toothless's, eyes stinging with desperate tears.

"Hiccup..." Astrid whispers sadly. She holds tight to his shoulder, wanting to comfort him...but also knowing that it's at times like these her friend likes to do crazy stuff. Not that there's anything he really _can_ do.

But really, she should know Hiccup isn't the type to easily give up..._especially _when it comes to his best friend. And soon, he's carefully removing her hand from his shoulder, which earns him a stern shake of her head.

"Please, Astrid..." He whispers in a surprisingly stable voice. "...Just let me try this."

And for some reason, she finds herself releasing him, despite her previous qualms against it. Then again, Hiccup has done more impossible things than saving a single dragon...

* * *

Stoick is kneeling in the sand, grimacing at the way it stains red as blood drips down his shoulder from the knick he received from the Siren's claws. Toothless jumped in at just the right time. If he hadn't...Stoick would be dead now. He's still shaken from his near-death experience when he lifts his eyes to where the Siren has fallen, only to have his mouth fall agape at what he sees.

Astrid is standing a few yards from the water, her hands gripped together nervously over her chest. She watches with a tense expression as Hiccup slowly, cautiously approaches the queen, his hands extended in a calming manner.

"Hiccup..." Stoick breathes in horror. _Have you lost your mind?! _The Chief bites the inside of his cheek as he fights to stand up, only to collapse back to his knees as the world spins in front of him. He's already lost quite a bit of blood... He can't get up. He can only watch helplessly as his son draws closer and closer to the massive predator, obviously trying to train it...even though he must know it's impossible.

* * *

"Easy, there..." Hiccup says as smoothly as he can manage. His hands tremble a bit as he gets closer and he can feel his heart fluttering in his chest. _I need to calm down! _He scolds himself. _It needs to know I trust it! ...problem is, I don't trust it...how could I? _"It's okay..." He continues, regardless. "No one is going to hurt you anymore..."

He steals a quick look at Toothless, praying his dragon hasn't already suffocated. And he's rewarded with a wide-eyed stare from his friend.

Yep, his human really_ has_ lost his mind!

But...wait... Toothless blinks in surprise when the Siren begins to tilt its head, staring at Hiccup almost curiously. He catches the slightest hint of a smile on the boy's face when his plan begins to work.

After all, Hiccup tried training the hatchlings...who were under control of their queen. And it's common knowledge that a dragon being controlled by a queen can't be reasoned with... So maybe, just maybe, it's the queen they needed all along.

"We don't want to fight you anymore." Hiccup soothes. "We've made friends with dragons here and _no one_ wants to kill you."

Toothless winces slightly as the Siren begins to lower its tentacle. At this point, the Night Fury's feet almost touch the ground again! His ears twitch as he registers a disbelieving gasp from Astrid.

Her eyes shine with awe and admiration as her friend draws close enough to the calmed Siren to actually reach his arm out and gently, tentatively place a hand on its snout.

Hiccup smiles. A short, breathy laugh expresses his relief as Toothless is finally set free. His dragon hacks a few times to clear his throat and shakes his head. But right now, he's too absorbed in his success with the queen to really notice anything else. "Hi, there..." He breathes as he strokes the Siren's nose, noticing for the first time a few flecks of dark blue within its black eyes.

The queen slowly shifts its head to the side, appearing to stare straight into his eyes as well. It finds this little human remarkable brave... After all, it's not easy to give your own life for someone else's...

"AH!" Hiccup yelps in shock as the Siren's tentacles wraps around his waist. It yanks him out of the water so quickly that he doesn't realize he's in the air until he notices he's suddenly _above_ the dragon's head.

And then it all happens so quickly.

He hears the Riders shouting to each other, accompanied by the beating of scaly wings. Purple light flashes three times below him and the tentacle encircling his hips jolts harshly as an ear-piercing cry slices the air. Blue spikes whiz past his cheeks, accurately slicing into the appendage that is now squeezing tightly around his rib cage. He hears his father shouting his name and stars flash in his vision...he can't breathe...the pressure on his ribs is too much. Another flash of violet light... And then he's falling.

The water swallows him up after that and then there's just...nothing.

* * *

_"Hiccup...?"_

A cold, sharp wind.

_ "Hiccup!"_

His body hurts.

_ "Oh gods...!"_

_ "Hiccup, can you hear me?"_

He's freezing cold, his clothes are soaked.

_ "Please answer me!" _

His lungs burn.

_ "Hiccup!"_

_ "HICCUP!"_

Tired...

* * *

_**A/N: Next chapter is the last one, guys! Thank you all for being so awesome and following/favoriting/reviewing my stories! As well as putting up with all my shenanigans and bull-hockey. You're all getting a giant internet hug, in case you couldn't tell! :D**_


	16. Epilogue

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**~Epilouge~**_

_**A/N: LAST CHAPTER! (Some ACTUAL non-mist-induced-Hiccstrid here! :D)**_

_**In response to...**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Yup, evil is probably a good word for it... And hopefully this last chapter will satisfy you sufficiently. :)**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Lol, I told my mom about the mist-overdose and she just shook her like, 'what are you doing with your life?' XDDD It was awesome. But seeing as how this is the last chapter, hopefully you don't have to panic TOO much. :)**_

_xInsertCreativeUsernamex: **Lol, yes it was fun! :) And yeah, I'm dreading it myself. (Although mine might actually be in, I'm not sure o_o I hope so...I don't want to turn into drunk Hiccup XDD WHO KNOWS what might happen if I'm all hyped up on happy gas with access to fanfictions? XDD)**_

_Heslen: **AH! If I'd known about your lack of internet access sooner, I might have been able to update when you needed it! Sorry! D:**_

_Jesusfreak: **Lol! XD**_

_anime-rocks-08: **Well, after my week's vacation (due to relatives) I'll be writing a post-sequel story! Hope to see you there :)**_

_MHJohn64th: **Yep, the Siren's nest is the cave where they found all the dragon eggs and such! :) Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you like the last chapter! :D**_

_NightFury999: **Yes it did... Thanks! XD**_

_Breyannia: **Yep, they're great hunters...but not very good at understanding human speech, apparently. XD As for Hiccup, you'll see how he is in this chapter! :)**_

_Ashling Alroy: **Then read the chapter! XD **_

_MissSharpenedSpikes: **Remember, it wants him because he cut off one of its hatchling's tentacles. Revenge and all that fun stuff! :)**_

_AwesomeGuest: ** You'll see~**_

_NightFury101: **Yay! I'm glad you liked the cliffhanger XD (Fun fact: that was originally meant to be halfway through the chapter, but I decided to end it there for dramatic purposes...) LOL! And NO! Don't cry! Our silly dragon friend is okay! *Pats your head* LOL! XDD**_

_oceanzap: **Lol, well that IS what he was trying to do...! And Hiccup certainly has a strong record of doing crazy things to protect his dragon. (Getting struck by lightning, almost drowning twice, etc etc...)**_

* * *

"Careful, lad." Gobber coaches supportively as Hiccup pushes himself into a sitting position. The boy hisses in pain before taking a deep, steadying breath and setting his feet on the floor. "Are you sure you want to get up just yet...?" His mentor asks him. "Gothi warned you to stay still for the next few weeks...it's only been a day..."

Hiccup nods his head before pushing himself onto his aching legs. He wavers for a moment but manages to balance himself without falling. "I need to check on the others." He grumbles in a hoarse voice. "It's killing me not knowing how they're doing."

"That's not the only thing that'll kill you if you keep moving around so much..." His mentor sighs, offering an arm around the slim teenager's shoulders, which Hiccup gratefully accepts as they hobble toward the door. Fortunately, they only have to go to the Great Hall, which isn't far from here.

His father, his dragon, and everyone else who was injured is there right now, being routinely checked up on by Gothi. Well, all but Hiccup, who was rushed to her after his fifteen foot drop out of the air yesterday. Luckily, the water absorbed most of his fall and the only real injury he sustained is some major bruising across his body, particularly his back, which is now varying shades of purple and blue.

"I'll go back to bed once I'm sure everyone is okay." He assures Gobber as they jointly limp out the door, Hiccup flinching every time he has to put weight on his sore legs.

His mentor grunts as if to say 'suuure, you will' and doesn't say anymore until they've reached the Great Hall, whose doors stand wide open. Once inside, Gobber practically drags his young apprentice over to a table to sit and rest, as the medicine woman instructed. "I'll let your father know you're here. He'll be glad to see you awake again."

Hiccup nods and painfully shifts his weight to a more comfortable position. Then again, all the benches in the Hall are made of stiff, unforgiving wood...so no position is comfortable when your back is one, giant bruise. So the frowning boy sighs and contents himself with searching the Hall for his friends.

He finds the twins bickering in a corner. They have a few various bandages on their arms, probably for heat blisters they got during the battle... With so much fire, it's no wonder they would get at least some minor burning. Beside them, a little ways away, are Snotlout and Fishlegs, who also appear to be having a rather heated conversation about one thing or another. They're also sporting gauze, although Snotlout is wearing many more, due to having been thrown from his dragon so roughly.

And then Hiccup finds Astrid. She's Gothi's current patient and there's a very pained expression on her face as the elderly woman applies some kind of cream to her ankle and begins to wrap it up against a splint again. It looks bad and, not for the first time, Hiccup fears it might get worse.

However, all of his concern is tossed to the wind when she meets his gaze. Astrid smirks at him and offers a half-hearted wave, flinching when Gothi pulls the bandages into place over her wounded foot. Hiccup smiles back at her and moves as if to stand, but is stopped when she shakes her head and motions for him to sit still.

He frowns but obeys her, sinking back down onto the wooden bench with some relief that he won't have to put weight of his aching body. Astrid nods at him, pleased that he's actually listening to her for once, and mouths 'be over in a minute'.

Hiccup is about to mouth a reply back, when he feels a puff of hot air on the back of his head. Turning around, he nearly jumps out of his skin in surprise to find himself face-to-face with a very peeved-looking Night Fury. Toothless glares at his human from the other side of the table before slinking over top of it and then stepping down onto the floor before Hiccup.

"Uh...hey, bud." Hiccup tries weakly, only to receive a grumpy snarl from his dragon. Normally, he would ask why his friend is upset...but he already knows. "Look, I couldn't just let the Siren _kill _you! I _had_ to do something!"

But Toothless only snorts and nudges his nose against Hiccup's side, causing him to wince at the circular welt that marks where the tentacle nearly crushed his ribs. Toothless just doesn't understand why Hiccup is always trying to reverse their jobs! It's _Toothless's_ job to protect _Hiccup_! Not the other way around!

And Hiccup knows his dragon feels this way. How could he not...? It seems like every time Hiccup puts himself in any kind of harm's way to help Toothless, his Night Fury practically throw a fit! And this time is no exception.

Hiccup prods Toothless's nose away and finally offers a little smile. "Okay, you can be mad at me if you want." He shrugs. "But I'm just glad you're alive."

Toothless growls quietly because he knows what his cunning little human is trying to do. But despite knowing that Hiccup is only trying to make him feel bad, Toothless can't help it. He _is_ glad Hiccup is okay as well, even though he's frustrated with him. So he continues to drone unhappily as he nuzzles Hiccup's cheek, earning a grin and a scratch behind the ears from his friend.

"So, how're you two love-birds feeling?" Astrid chuckles as she limps over to them, aided by a pair of makeshift crutches.

Hiccup clears his throat and smirks at her. "Eh, I think we've been better." He admits, motioning to the various knicks and scrapes along his dragon's skin. As well as the sore spot on the Night Fury's throat... "But we'll live."

She nods and sits down beside him. "Thanks." She says as he pulls a stool over for her to lean her ankle on. "I guess we're all a bit roughed up..."

"So, what did Gothi tell you?" Hiccup asks carefully, his eyes searching her broken ankle for signs of recovery. But, of course, he can't see through the bandages so he doesn't know if it's getting better or not.

Astrid shifts her weight so she's not putting so much pressure on her foot and then turns to face him, giving him almost a scolding look. "It's fine, Hiccup. It'll be healed and good as new in a few months."

"Did she actually say that?" Hiccup demands, his brow wrinkling in concern.

"She said to rest and it'll be fine...same advice she gave _you_, right?" She grumbles, sighing when he responds with a sheepish grin. Busted. "Hiccup!" She groans. "You know, you can't possibly disobey _every_ order you get. Some of them are givin for a reason."

"I know, I know..." He moans. "But I had to come over to make sure everyone was okay. Like you said, we all got a bit roughed up. Speaking of which..." Hiccup glances around the Great Hall, wondering where Gobber went. "Have you seen my father? Gobber said he was going to get him..."

"Not since earlier..." She says. "Why?"

Hiccup sighs and sits back against the table behind him. "Well, frankly, I'm a little worried... Last I saw of him, he was being attacked by the queen." He grumbles. "I'd like to know how he's doing."

Astrid doesn't reply at first so Hiccup glances over to look at her, his expression turning confused at the soft look on her face. "You know, Hiccup, you have a really bad tendency for being more worried about other people than yourself."

He arcs an eyebrow, about to ask if that's a bad thing, when she suddenly chuckles under her breath as the memory surfaces in her mind. One of Hiccup giggling drunkenly under the influence of the Siren's hallucinogenic mist and, even then, he had been more worried for Astrid's safety than his own...

"What's so funny?" Hiccup suddenly asks her, scrutinizing the amused shimmer in her eyes.

"Nothing." She lies with a shake of her head. "Just...remind me to never let you get drunk."

"Excuse me?" He sputters, baffled. However, she never gets a chance to explain herself, because a moment later, the doors of the Great Hall are shoved open and a wide-eyed Stoick comes barging in. There's a bandage peeking through beneath his tunic, as well as a handful littering his arms and legs.

Hiccup grimaces at the sight of his father's injuries but ends up smiling once his dad has spotted him. "Hey, Dad." He greets as Stoick hurries over, grinning in relief that his son is feeling well enough to move around.

Stoick stops a few feet in front of him and kneels down, still smiling from ear to ear as he ruffles the boy's hair and asks, "How're you feeling son? Gobber said you were in quite a bit of pain still...you look alright to me, though."

And Hiccup nods, almost eagerly. He's not sure how he was expecting his father to react, but this certainly is a surprise. Usually, there's a bit more scolding on recklessness involved... Then again, a parent can only show so much tough love after witnessing their child falling out of the sky, into only a few feet of water... "I'm fine, Dad." He assures him as his father sits back, wincing slightly at the pain of his own wounds. "Seems like you should be the one resting, not me..."

But Stoick waves him off. "Eh, I've had much worse than this! Trust me on that, son. It would take more than one dragon to kill me!"

Hiccup chuckles as his father's good mood as Stoick ruffles his son's hair for a second time before standing up.

"Now, I've got to go talk to the men I sent out this morning. There were no disappearances last night, so we're hoping the Sirens have gone for good this time."

"Hopefully..." Hiccup shivers at the thought of them returning. Scaring the queen off took a lot out of the Riders and doubts they could do it again without some serious casualties.

However, he can't dwell on that thought for too long before Gobber comes hobbling in. "Stoick, the men have just arrived in port. They said they didn't see anything outside the Siren's nest and nothing tried to attack them..."

The Chief nods as he follows his friend outside, leaving Hiccup and Astrid to exchange amused expressions before getting up. Hiccup offers her his hand and she gladly takes it, happy to not have to put weight on her bad ankle this time.

"Thanks." She says and he nods. The two of them limp their way toward the door, with Toothless hanging a ways behind them. He eyes his Rider suspiciously, wonder why Hiccup is blatantly staring at Astrid as they walk. ...it's not his usual stare. Not goofy or dreamy. He looks...thoughtful.

"Hey...Astrid?" He mutters, suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Um," Hiccup pauses, obviously searching for the right words. "Can I ask you something?"

His friend offers a small nod, although she looks a little...worried.

"Uhh..." By now, they've exited the Great Hall and are lingering by the stairs. Hiccup chews his lip for a moment before finally asking his question. "Back when we were fighting the Siren...and I breathed in some of its mist..."

Astrid inwardly grimaces. _Oh gods..._ She almost groans. _Please don't tell me he remembers that...! _"Y-yeah...?"

"I...I didn't say anything...crazy, did I?" He finally mumbles. "I mean...when my dad did, he said some pretty..._weird_ things and... I mean, I didn't, right?"

"Uhhhh..." And now it's Astrid's turn to stammer. "Well...I mean you _were_ mumbling to yourself and...I guess you might have said some...kind of silly stuff but... I know you weren't exactly yourself so I don't mind."

Even so, Hiccup looks mortified. "Oh no..." He groans. "What did I say?!" A million horrifying thoughts go through his head of things he may have said while he was out. Some worse than others...

"N-nothing!" She waves him off and starts walking again, trying to move quickly with her crutches. But stairs and a broken ankle don't go well together so she's essentially trapped as he follows her, continuing to demand what it is he told her in his drugged state. To which she continues to refuse he said anything weird at all. And after a while, Hiccup sighs in irritation and gives up, contenting himself with trudging along beside her as they walk in the direction of their houses.

They reach Astrid's place first and Hiccup helps her climb the few steps that lead to her front door, even though she insists she can do it without him. He still guides her as best he can, even scooting her father's boots out of the way so she won't trip over them.

Once at the door, however, he grips his aching ribs and leans on the side of the house when he thinks she isn't looking. But of course she notices...

"Thank you, Hiccup." She says almost softly.

And he nods, his buck-teeth showing in his grin. "No problem." For the shortest moment, he lingers there and the two teens stand in a comfortable silence, smirking at each other like a couple of dopey love-birds that would make any outsider roll their eyes -as Toothless does, right before walking away.

But soon, their self-induced spell is broken and Hiccup clears his throat, lowering his eyes because he hadn't really noticed he'd been staring. "Um, I'll see you later." He says as he turns back toward the steps.

"See you." She agrees as he limps down the stairs toward his dragon. "Oh, and Hiccup?"

"Huh?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder.

Astrid is already halfway in the door and there's sneaky smile on her face when she says, "Me too." Right before slipping inside and shutting it behind her.

* * *

Astrid never answers his inquiries as to what that meant, simply enjoying it as her own, personal joke...and response to his drunken confession.

* * *

_**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! (YAY HICCSTRID! XD)**_

_**I'm thinking my next fanfic will be post-sequel...**_

_**ALSO! I'm taking about a week's vacation from the site because my aunt and cousin are visiting! (Talk about perfect timing, they're literally coming TODAY.) So I'll keep you updated as to when my return date will be and what my next fic will be about :)**_

_**(Keep an eye on my profile if you're curious)**_

_**Also, THANKS FOR THE MOST REVIEW I'VE EVER GOTTEN! Seriously! OVER 200! THAT'S INSANE! **_


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